Curse Breaking for Dummies
by kirauza343
Summary: A sequel to The Illusion of Power. No longer the Dark One, Rumplestiltskin believed the hardest part about the curse would be ensuring it would be cast. Now that it's been cast, it turns out it will be much harder to break it, especially when a key player doesn't remember the Enchanted Forest. Can Emma still manage to break the curse? Or will Regina keep the curse intact?
1. Chapter 1

**I'm far from done with this universe, and to those of you who read The Illusion of Power, welcome back! Any newcomers, I highly suggest reading through it first, otherwise a lot of this won't make any sense at all. Reviews are greatly appreciated, and I hope you enjoy!**

"Welcome to Storybrooke. I hope you enjoy your stay, Emma," Granny said with a smile, handing Emma a key in one hand and Lacey the rent in the other. Lacey carefully counted out the cash before leaving the pair without a word.

"Thank you," Emma said, making her way to her room. She tossed what few belongings she had on over the chair in the small yet cozy room. Emma made her way to the window and looked out the door upon the square. Her eyes immediately went to the clock, which read 8:20 by now. Emma frowned, remembering that Henry said time was frozen and that the clock never moved. While she didn't believe it started because of her, Emma knew there was something strange about this town…

Shaking the ridiculous thoughts out of her head, Emma fell back onto the bed in exhaustion.

* * *

Henry grinned when the clock moved, knowing exactly what it meant: Emma had decided to stay. He could barely contain his excitement, and was eager to have the curse broken. Henry was too excited to sleep, so he grabbed a flashlight and the Storybook and re-read some his favorite stories underneath the blanket, trying to discover who was who.

Of course, some were easy. Mary Margaret was Snow White, and his mom was the Evil Queen. Ruby was Little Red Riding Hood, and Granny was Granny. Others weren't so easy. Henry had no idea who Mr. Gold could be, but something told him Lacey might have the answer to that. If he found out who she was, maybe he could find Mr. Gold in the Storybook.

Henry wasn't sure if Emma really believed him yet, but Henry knew he could convince her. He had to, if the curse was to be broken. Henry wasn't sure how to persuade her yet, but if he could just find someone who believed him, maybe he could.

With this plan in place, Henry reread the story of how Snow White and Prince Charming met until eventually he fell asleep.

* * *

Lacey quickly made her way back to the pawnshop, trying to make sense of what just happened. She opened the door to the pawnshop to see Rumplestiltskin, _Mr. Gold_, Lacey mentally corrected, standing at the counter. Without a word, Lacey placed the wad of cash she received from Granny on the counter, reminding herself to stay in character. Though Belle would make conversation, Lacey was timid and reserved.

"I hope Ms. Lucas didn't give you any problems," Gold said absently, slipping the money into his pocket. He paid Lacey little attention as he looked over paperwork. "You are free to go Miss French," Gold said without looking up.

"Thank you. Have a nice night," Lacey said politely. She would have preferred that Gold used her first name, even if it was her cursed name, but she knew she had to stay in character. If she started acting differently, Regina might realize that she remembered which would be dangerous. It didn't take Lacey long to reach the small apartment she called home in this world. She took a seat on her bed and pondered what just happened.

"Emma…has it really been twenty eight years since the curse was cast?" Lacey asked, running a hand through her hair. _Strange, it really hasn't felt like that long. You were right_, _Rumple,_ she thought. Lacey smiled as she lifted her loose-fitting shirt up enough to place a hand on her belly, on the bump barely large enough to be noticed. Lacey searched her cursed memories and remembered that "Lacey" was in denial, but Belle knew better. She briefly wondered if it was a boy or a girl growing inside her before remembering she had other things to worry about.

_Like this curse,_ Lacey thought grimly. Lacey decided she needed to meet this savior, and knew she would likely meet her while working for Gold. Lacey felt her heart sink at the reminder that her husband didn't remember her, but she resolved to focus on Emma and the curse. The sooner the curse was broken, the sooner Rumplestiltskin would remember, and the sooner they would be able to find his son.

After changing into her nightgown, Lacey crawled into bed, preparing herself for the days to come.

* * *

Gold watched Lacey leave with a curious look on his face. Something was different about her. Lacey was always polite, but she'd never wished been quite so friendly with her farewell. The look in Lacey's eyes when she'd returned from collecting rent was something different, something braver than the young woman who worked for him.

He turned his eyes to an elegant tea cup with a slight chip in it. Carefully taking it into his hands, Gold looked over it for what must have been the millionth time. He had no idea where it came from, but something stopped him from just throwing it out. It puzzled him more than anything, as Gold was wont to toss things he had no use for. The strangest thing perhaps, was that for some reason, looking at the cup reminded Gold of Lacey.

Their relationship was strictly professional, but even Gold had to admit she was a beauty. She was just as afraid of him as everyone else was, at least until she walked into the pawnshop after collecting the rent.

With a dismissive shake of his head, Gold headed home, eager to get some sleep.

* * *

Mary Margaret sat in her small apartment, enjoying a cup of hot chocolate with cinnamon in it while she graded papers. Her mind went to Henry and his mother Emma, and Mary Margaret couldn't help but think that something seemed familiar about the blonde woman. Something familiar, almost like what she felt when she watched David Nolan.

Yes, she knew he was married, and Mary Margaret felt awful about it, but she felt something for him. Mary Margaret wasn't sure what it was she felt, but when she looked at him she somehow knew him. She'd never talked to David, but with this stranger in town Mary Margaret knew things would start changing. And maybe they would change for the better.

Mary Margaret slipped into her bed, deciding to get some sleep before maybe finally talking to David tomorrow.

* * *

David silently sighed as he felt his wife fall asleep next to him. He had everything: a stable job, a beautiful wife, and enough money to live comfortably. So why did David feel absolutely miserable?

Unable to sleep, David carefully got up, careful not to wake Kathryn, and sat outside on the porch. It was late, and no one else was out on the street. Not that David minded, since to everyone else he was a happily married man. To David, everything just never seemed right. There was only one time when anything ever made sense to David, and that was whenever he saw Mary Margaret.

He didn't know what it was about her, but seeing her made David feel whole. If he believed in love at first sight, he would have blamed it on that, but he wasn't sure if it was love or something else he felt. David felt incomplete not knowing her, but he didn't know why.

Reluctantly, David headed back inside to get some sleep before resuming the same "perfect" life he always did.

* * *

Regina gripped her dresser and stared into the mirror, trying to make sense of the day's event. "How did she get here? Outsiders can't find Storybrooke," Regina hissed, remembering what happened with Owen all too well. She thought about asking Gold about her, but as she learned the first week of the curse he didn't remember their world. The fact he didn't surprised Regina, who assumed he would find some way to keep his memories. Then again, many of the Dark One's last actions came as a surprise to Regina.

She knew she would have to keep a close eye on this Emma, to make sure she wouldn't take Henry away from her. What other reason would his birth mother have for staying in Storybrooke? Regina was snapped out of her thoughts by a ringing sound. Puzzled, Regina glanced out the window to see the clock above the library strike nine.

"What?" Regina muttered, eyes widening. In all twenty eight years the curse had been in place, never had the clock moved. Something was changing, and Regina didn't like it. Time was resuming, and it wasn't supposed to happen. _Gold must have been lying. He knows what's happening_, Regina thought bitterly.

"Regina? Come to bed," a voice whispered, coming up behind her. Deciding to figure everything out tomorrow, Regina reluctantly relented.

**I apologize if this starts a little strangely, but I had a hard time deciding how I wanted to start this. If any of y'all have any questions regarding anything, feel free to ask, and feedback is greatly appreciated! **


	2. Chapter 2

**Thanks for the reviews, favorites, and follows! A guest asked about why David's not in a coma, which I had a feeling someone would ask. In the Illusion of Power, Rumplestiltskin never told Regina about the savior's existence, so she never attacked the castle when she cast the curse. Since she didn't attack the castle, David wasn't stabbed and so is not in a coma. Hope that clears things up, and if anyone else has a question I will gladly answer!**

Emma took a seat at the bar in the diner, and soon Ruby passed her a cup of hot chocolate with a hint of cinnamon in it. "Thanks, but I didn't order this," Emma said, shaking her head.

"Yeah, I know. You have an admirer," Ruby said with a smile, looking over at the booths. Emma turned and saw Sheriff Graham. Curious, Emma walked over to him.

"Ah, so you decided to stay," Graham noted with a smile.

"Observant. Important for a cop," Emma snarked. Graham smiled and was about to speak when the door to the diner opened.

"Lacey, what can I get for you?" Ruby asked, surprised to see the young woman at the diner. Graham eyed the girl curiously, and Emma decided to watch as well, suddenly interested.

"One iced tea to go please," Lacey said with a smile. She sat at the bar to wait, and soon she turned around and saw Emma. "Hello again. I don't think we've been properly introduced. My name's Lacy," Lacey said shyly, holding out a hand. She could see much of Snow and David in her; there was no doubt she was their daughter.

"Yeah, I remember seeing you in the inn. Do you own the place?" Emma asked, curious.

"No, I work for Mr. Gold who does," Lacey explained, keeping her timid demeanor maintained. "Well, he sort of owns the whole town," Lacey admitted sheepishly. Emma's eyes widened.

"Lacey is Gold's assistant. She collects the rent, manages his pawnshop while he's away, that sort thing," Graham explained. "If you have to deal with Gold, and hopefully you won't, I suggest talking to this one first. She's a lot more pleasant than he is," Graham added.

"I don't know about that," Lacey stammered. Graham raised an eyebrow.

"Defending your employer?" Graham asked, and Lacey flushed, mentally cursing herself for letting it slip. "You're a sweet girl. Too sweet to be working for him," Graham said with a chuckle, and Lacey internally breathed a sigh of relief. Ruby handed Lacey her tea.

"I really should get going. Have a nice day," Lacey said with a small smile, leaving the diner.

"Is this Mr. Gold really that bad?" Emma asked, curious, before her eyes caught sight of something strange. "Wait a second, shouldn't you be at school?" Emma asked Henry, crossing her arms.

"Duh, I'm ten. Walk me?" Henry asked, giving Emma a pair of puppy dog eyes that Emma couldn't resist.

"Why not," Emma said as she and her son left the diner and began the walk to school. "So, what's the deal with you and your mom?" she asked as they walked.

"It's not about us, it's about her curse. We have to break it. Luckily, I have a plan. Step one: identification. I call it, Operation Cobra!" Henry announced with a grin.

"Cobra? I don't see what that has to do with fairytales," Emma pointed out.

"Exactly, it's a codename. It'll through the Queen off our trail," Henry said with a smirk. "Now, I've figured out who some people are, but I could use some help with the others," he admitted. Still not buying it, Emma decided to play along nonetheless.

"All right, so who was in the diner?" Emma asked, curiosity getting the better of her.

"Well, Ruby is Little Red Riding Hood. I think Graham is the Huntsman, but the Queen has his heart," Henry said, thinking over who was there.

"His heart?" Emma asked, now sure she'd heard everything. "So, they don't remember their pasts?" Emma asked, trying to wrap her head around what was going through the Henry's head.

"They don't know. It's all a haze to them. Ask them anything and you'll see. Time was frozen here until you decided to stay. That's when the clock started working again!" Henry said with a grin.

"So everyone in this town is a fairytale character but they don't remember who and they are and they aren't aging and the curse keeps them oblivious to it?" Emma asked skeptically.

"Exactly! I knew you'd get it. That's what we need you for, you're the savior! You will break the curse," Henry said smiling.

"Because I'm the daughter of Snow White and Prince Charming," Emma said flatly. Henry took out a few pages from the Storybook, including a page that showed Emma in a white baby blanket with her name clearly visible. The sight of the familiar blanket caught Emma off-guard. There was no doubt that it was the same blanket that was all she had left from her parents. The skeptic in her thought it was just a coincidence, but a small part of her didn't believe it was.

"I know the hero never believes at first. If they did, it wouldn't be a very good story. If you need proof, take them, read them. But don't let the Queen find them. If she finds out that you're the savior that would be very bad. I gotta go, but I'll find you later so we can get started. I knew you'd believe me!" Henry said with a grin as he raced off into the school building, not even giving Emma a chance to argue.

"It's so good to see his smile back," Mary Margaret said smiling, and Emma quickly stashed the papers in her pockets. "Does the mayor know you're staying?" Mary Margaret asked, curious.

"No, not yet, or at least I think she doesn't," Emma said, having not seen Regina since the previous night. "Now, how did she get elected? She doesn't seem like the nicest person out there," Emma said dryly.

"No one's brave enough to run against her," Mary Margaret said plainly. "She inspires quite a bit of…fear. I really didn't help things by giving Henry that book. Now he thinks she's the Evil Queen," Mary Margaret added plainly.

"Who does he think you are?" Emma asked, curious.

"Snow White. What about you?" Mary Margaret asked. Emma's heart stopped. Henry thought this woman was her mother. Part of Emma thought it would be wonderful to have a mother that was as kind as this woman seemed, but a stronger part of her thought this whole thing was ridiculous.

"I'm…I'm not in the book," Emma lied.

"Well, I should get to class. The bell's going to ring any minute now. If you want to learn anything about town, I suggest heading to the diner. Ruby knows just about anything about anyone," Mary Margaret said with a smile before leaving Emma alone.

* * *

"How did she get into town?" Regina demanded as she walked into the pawnshop, completely disregarding the closed sign. "Well?" she asked as she reached the counter where Gold stood with a frown on his place.

"I don't believe the shop is open yet. And if you are referring to Miss Swan I assume she drove," Gold answered drily, having heard about the town's visitor.

"Don't play dumb with me, Gold. No one can enter or leave town, and somehow she managed to get in here. Now tell me, how did she do that?" Regina demanded coolly. Gold eyed her curiously.

"No one can enter or leave? I'm sure anyone can enter or leave as they wish. Whether or not you want them to has no bearings on if they can or not," Gold said.

"You know that is not what I meant," Regina said darkly, but Gold was not intimidated. "Who is she? And I mean besides the obvious," Regina said.

"She's Henry's birthmother I assume. I'm afraid I don't know any more than that," Gold said dismissively, and Regina realized he wasn't going to give away any information easily. Regina took a deep breath, trying to relax.

"Why did the clock begin ticking? Time is supposed to be frozen here," Regina said, deciding to try a different approach.

"Someone must have finally fixed the clock," Gold said, growing bored. "Now if that is all, I would like to ask you to leave," he almost growled.

"I'm not going anywhere until you give me some answers," Regina said stubbornly, but both became distracted by the sudden opening of the door.

"Good-good morning Madame Mayor," Lacey stammered, letting her cursed persona seep into the greeting. Lacey figured out pretty quickly that Regina wanted to talk to Gold, so Lacey disappeared into the back.

"I believe you were leaving," Gold said menacingly, no hint of pleasantness in his voice.

"Or, perhaps your assistant can…assist me," Regina said with a smirk, carefully watching Gold's reaction. To her disappointment, Gold seemed completely unfazed.

* * *

Mary Margaret took her time on the walk home like she always did, but this time she walked even slower, taking the chance to enjoy the fresh air. It was the nicest day she could remember, and the weather felt perfect. Mary Margaret was so caught up in enjoying the weather that she ran straight into someone.

"I-I am so sorry," Mary Margaret apologized, now on the ground from the collision. "I'm sorry, I wasn't paying attention to where I was-" she began, only to realize who she ran into. "Going…" Mary Margaret finished, and David helped her to her feet.

"Well, I wasn't either. Sorry about that," David said with a nervous chuckle. "Leaving from school?" he asked, attempting to make conversation.

"Yes," Mary Margaret stammered, trying to find her voice.

"Are you okay?" David asked, concerned.

"I'm fine," Mary Margaret answered hastily, mentally cursing herself for not being able to talk to the man she couldn't keep her mind off of. "Well, it was nice talking to you, but I have some papers I need to grade," Mary Margaret said, giving into the cowardice. She started to walk away, but the weight proved too much for the ankle she twisted when she fell. David managed to catch her before she fell.

"No, you're not. Come on, your house isn't too far. I'll help you," David said, supporting her weight, and both of them blushed at the sudden closeness.

"Thank you," Mary Margaret said as they walked.

"I'm happy to help. I uh…actually was hoping to run into you. We've never really talked much even though we live in a small town," David admitted, and Mary Margaret's eyes widened.

"I know this is going to sound strange…but I've wanted to talk to you too! We've both lived in Storybrooke for as long as I can remember, but I don't think we've ever talked," Mary Margaret said. David thought for a moment.

"Now that you mention it, I don't think we have. You should come over for dinner sometime. Kathryn and I would love to have you," David suggested.

"Don't you think that might be a little…awkward? I'm a complete stranger," Mary Margaret pointed out.

"You're a teacher, and everyone in town thinks highly of you," David argued, but realized that she did have a point. The two reached Mary Margaret's apartment.

"Thanks again for the help," Mary Margaret said.

"Have a nice day," David said with a smile as he left. "I hope you'll reconsider my offer!" he called as he walked away. As he left, Mary Margaret couldn't help buy watch with a smile on her face, and she blushed when she realized she was getting a crush on him.

"Stop it, he's married," Mary Margaret scolded herself as she let herself into her apartment.


	3. Chapter 3

"Miss French? Miss French!" Gold called impatiently, snapping Lacey out of her daze. Lacey's mind was occupied with thoughts of the curse, the Queen, and the Savior, so much so that she had almost completely neglected her work.

"I, I, I'm so sorry," Lacey stammered. "What is it?" she asked, trying to focus on the task at hand.

"Miss French, I believe I am paying to work, not to stare off into space," Gold admonished with a frown on his face. "Are you feeling all right?" Gold asked, uneager to have an employee take off for being sick. Lacey bit her lip, trying to decide what to say.

"I'm fine, I just have a lot on my mind," Lacey said dismissively. Gold was far from convinced, and determined to get to the bottom of whatever it was that was going on.

"Miss French, you haven't been yourself today. Ordinarily you are a fairly diligent, if sometimes scatterbrained, worker. I cannot tolerate this unproductiveness," Gold said, growing impatient. Lacey frowned, annoyed at the persona Regina had given Rumplestiltskin.

"I'm terribly sorry," Lacey apologized. Gold sighed, and Lacey's eyes manage to catch sight of something very familiar. "This cup…you realize there is a chip in it yes?" Lacey asked, carefully picking it up. She didn't fail to notice that Gold flinched at the sight of her picking it up. He quickly regained his composure, and Lacey had to suppress a smirk.

"I must ask that you place that back where you found it," Gold requested coolly. Hiding her disappointment, Lacey did as he asked.

"Is there a story behind it?" Lacey asked, curious to see if Regina had programmed a past regarding Gold and the cup. She knew from her own memories that Lacey didn't know anything about this cup. Gold hesitated a moment before answering.

"I'm…I'm not sure. I know it means something, but I'm not sure what," Gold admitted, walking over and taking the cup in his hands, giving Lacey a glimpse of Rumplestiltskin. "But enough about that. I believe your shift is over," Gold said quietly, slipping back into being Gold, the businessman.

"You know…this cup, it reminds me of one that I know. It has a chip a lot like this one, and there's a pretty interesting story behind it if you want to hear it," Lacey suggested gently, not willing to give up so easily when she saw even a bit of her true love.

"You can go, Miss French," Gold said sharply, surprised by her sudden audacity.

"My name is Lacey," Lacey responded with a frown, but Gold said nothing. "Good night Mr. Gold," Lacey relented with a sigh, grabbing her belongings and leaving the pawnshop, feeling more than a little disappointed. _Focus on the curse. When the curse breaks he'll remember_," Lacey thought optimistically. In the meantime, she knew she had other things to worry about as well as she took out her cell and dialed the doctor's office. "Hello? I need to make an appointment," Lacey said, a smile growing on her face.

* * *

Emma sighed as she closed the door to her room in the inn, tired from the long day. She'd spent her time snooping around town, trying to get more information on Henry, Regina, and the rest of the town. There was no doubt in Emma's mind by the time she was through that there was more to this town than meets the eye.

Henry had slipped her a list of the people whose "fairytale personas" he had figured out, and Emma reluctantly had to admit that some of them seemed pretty accurate, especially when compared to the few illustrations she'd seen from the book. Emma pulled out the pages he tore out from the Storybook, including the one with the baby blanket in it, her baby blanket. _Why is it in the book?_ Emma thought with a frown before digging into her wallet and pulling out a small scrap of paper with but a few words on it.

_Emma,_

_We are so sorry that we have to do this, but we couldn't let the curse take you. We love you and have loved you since we found out I was pregnant with you. It breaks our hearts for you to grow up without us, but know that somewhere we are out there and we love you! Find us, and we know you will because it is in your blood. _

_We love you more than anything,_

_Your mother and father, Snow White and David_

Emma had never shown anyone the note that was tucked inside her blanket, not since she was a little girl who believed in fairytales and yet somehow Henry believed Snow White was her mother. Looking at a page with Snow White in it, Emma couldn't help but see the resemblance between that woman and Mary Margaret. Emma had no idea what to make of everything, and a knock on her door snapped her out of her thoughts. With a sigh, Emma opened the door and found Regina waiting for her.

"What are you still doing here, Miss Swan?" Regina asked bluntly, clearly not happy with the news. Regina had enough on her mind with time starting to flow again and the last thing she needed was the threat of losing Henry too.

"I decided to stick around for a little bit," Emma admitted, and Regina frowned.

"I would like to remind you that I am Henry's mother now. You gave that up when you gave him away, and I don't appreciate you trying to take him away from me," Regina said darkly.

"I'm not trying to take him away from you. I just want to make sure he's all right," Emma said. "I realize we didn't exactly get off on the right foot, so why don't we try to get along? For Henry's sake," Emma added, already stressed from dealing with Henry's "curse" theory. Regina looked far from convinced, but like Emma she had other things to worry about.

"All right," Regina began reluctantly. "How long will you be staying?" Regina asked, fearing it would be later, rather than sooner.

"Just a week," Emma said, but something inside her said she would be here for much longer.

"A week then," Regina said with a small smile. Her eyes managed to catch a glimpse of the pages from Henry's book, recognizing Snow White as well as the name embroidered on the baby blanket as she began to leave. "Miss Swan? I believe those pages belong to Henry. Why don't I return them for you?" Regina suggested with a plastered-on smile.

"I think I'll hold onto these for a little while. Henry asked me to," Emma said, seeing through Regina's smile. "Why, do these pages mean anything to you?" Emma asked innocently, carefully measuring Regina's reaction.

"Of course not. Good night Miss Swan," Regina scoffed as she left. Emma frowned at the realization that the mayor was lying to her. According to Henry, she was the Evil Queen though Emma was far from convinced that this whole curse thing was real. Still, the mayor's interest in the pages that described Emma as the savior and the daughter of Snow White was very strange.

"What are you doing? This is completely ridiculous," Emma muttered, trying to figure out why she was suddenly considering that this fantasy might be the truth. _This is the real world, not some fairytale_, she reminded herself bitterly.


	4. Chapter 4

**I apologize for the delay in getting this chapter up, but it was being a pain. I'm pretty sure I've rewritten it half a dozen times. I'll try to keep the updates consistent, for right now plan on every other day. Maybe. Anyways, enjoy!**

"You called Madame Mayor?" Sydney asked with a smirk as he approached Regina's desk. Regina didn't look amused.

"I'm sure you've heard about our town's little visitor, Emma Swan. I want you to find everything there is to know about this woman," Regina said sternly, eager for any information she could find, particularly if she was really Snow White's daughter, and if so how she came to this world. Of course, Regina knew better than to think that Sydney would be much help.

"She's Henry's birth mother, yes? I'll see what I can do," Sydney said with a smile, always eager to please Regina.

"You better not disappoint me. Do you know what I do to things that aren't useful? I throw them away," Regina said darkly.

"I will not disappoint you. But until I find some information on Emma, I do have some…interesting news regarding someone else," Sydney said, hoping to impress Regina.

"What sort of news?" Regina asked, growing curious. Nothing ever happened with anyone in town unless it had something to do with one of the town drunks which was hardly interesting.

"I know you and Mr. Gold aren't exactly the closest of friends and I happen to have some potential dirt on him. Lacey, his assistant, scheduled as doctor's appointment last night with an obstetrician, and as we all know the only man she's been around these past few months has been her employer," Sydney explained with a smile.

"What?" Regina asked flatly, a frown forming on her face. She knew Lacey was pregnant, but she was supposed to be in denial. Regina made sure of that when she cast the curse.

"Dr. Whale himself told me, and he has no reason to lie to me," Sydney said. "Well?" he asked after a moment when Regina had done nothing.

"Run the story. I want it in the first paper possible, and then I want you to find out all you can about Miss Swan. Is that understood?" Regina asked.

"Already done Madame Mayor," Sydney said with a smile, handing Regina a copy of the paper.

"You are dismissed," Regina said, eager for her former mirror to leave. _If Lacey knows she's pregnant, she must remember. But how can she remember if Rumplestiltskin doesn't?_ Regina asked herself, not sure what to make of the new information. The one thing Regina did know was that it all started when Emma came to town. _If Rumplestiltskin doesn't remember but she does then she may be able to give me some answers, _Regina thought as she read over the paper while walking to the pawnshop.

* * *

Emma had just finished getting dressed when she heard a knock on the door that she discovered came from Henry. "Don't you have school?" Emma asked with a raised eyebrow.

"No, we're off today. Come on, we need to work on Operation Cobra!" Henry said.

"And does your mom know you're with me?" Emma asked with a frown, and Henry gave a small shake of his head.

"She has to work, so it's the perfect time to work on breaking the curse," he said with a grin. Sighing, Emma decided to follow him out of the inn. "Now, first we need to figure out who's who. I have a pretty good idea who some people are, but I could really use your help. Then, we start getting them their happy endings!" Henry explained.

"Where are we starting?" Emma asked, deciding to play along partially to make Henry happy and partially because she was genuinely curious after rereading the note left with her as a child and seeing Regina's reaction to the pages from the storybook.

"With Snow White and Prince Charming, your parents. Nothing ever kept them apart in the Enchanted Forest, but the curse has your dad married to someone else," Henry said, eager to get his grandparents reunited.

"Hold on a moment, we can't just try and ruin someone's marriage," Emma pointed out. Henry frowned.

"But he's already married to Snow White back in your world. The only reason he's married is because the Evil Queen wanted to keep them apart when she cast the curse," Henry protested. Emma sighed.

"Kid, we can't interfere with his marriage," Emma said, and thought for a moment. "If we tried to break them apart, the mayor would figure out what we're trying to do," she said weakly. Henry thought it over.

"You're right. We need to figure out who is wife is. If she has a true love, we can try to get them to fall in love again too! If they both fall in love with someone else, they'll be happy for the marriage to end," Henry said with a grin. Emma sighed as they walked. They hadn't walked for long when Emma caught someone's attention, and a man clad in black leather approached them.

"I don't believe I've seen you around before, and I believe I would remember such a beauty," the man said, taking Emma's hand with his and kissing it. "My name is Jack Turner," he said charmingly.

"Emma," Emma answered flatly, not sure what to make of the man.

"Sorry, but we've got to go," Henry said, hastily dragging Emma off. "That's Captain Hook. He's missing a hand, you see?" Henry said, casually pointing out the man's missing limb.

"I don't remember Captain Hook wearing more eyeliner than I do," Emma snarked as they walked, and Henry grinned.

"Well, this Captain Hook's a little different. According to the book he's arch enemies with Rumplestiltskin, the Dark One. Rumplestiltskin is the one that created the curse," Henry explained.

"Who is he in this world?" Emma asked, her curiosity getting the better of her.

"I have no idea, but something tells me he might remember the Enchanted Forest. There's no way someone that powerful didn't find a way to keep his memories," Henry said.

"Isn't there anyone in town that looks like him?" Emma asked with a frown, knowing that appearance was how he must have figured out most of the townsfolks' identities already.

"Not really. He's the Dark One thanks to a curse and it changed his appearance. No one in town acts even a little bit like him," Henry admitted.

"So where are we going?" Emma asked.

"The hospital. There's a girl in a coma, and we've got to find her true love so he can wake her up," Henry said, picking up his pace and nearly leaving Emma behind. With a sigh Emma followed.

* * *

"Good morning Mary Margaret," David greeted with a smile to the teacher who sat in Granny's Diner sipping on some hot chocolate.

"Good morning, David," Mary Margaret answered with a smile of her own. "Grabbing some coffee before work?" Mary Margaret asked, easily slipping into casual conversation now that her nerves weren't taking over. David nodded.

"Yeah, I managed to get out of the house early today. I take it you aren't working?" David asked, noticing the time.

"We have the day off. You work at the animal shelter yes?" Mary Margaret asked and David nodded. "Mind if I come with you? My apartment's been a little empty lately and I could use the companionship," Mary Margaret said, using the excuse she'd come up with last night to visit the shelter.

"Sure, it's usually pretty slow down there. Are you a cat or a dog person?" David asked, genuinely curious. Ruby handed him a coffee and David handed her cash.

"Definitely dog. Cats are all right, but dogs are just much more friendly," Mary Margaret said with a smile, following David out the door with her hot chocolate in hand.

"Me too. We have some pretty sweet dogs, both large ones and small ones," David said.

"Well, I like big dogs better, but I should probably get a small one. My apartment doesn't exactly have enough room for a large dog," Mary Margaret said with a small laugh. David thought for a moment.

"I think I know just the right dog already. If you decide you like her, we can finalize the adoption over lunch," David suggested.

"I'd like that," Mary Margaret said with a smile.

**Hey, it's Hook!**


	5. Chapter 5

Lacey hadn't been in the pawnshop for more than ten minutes when the door opened to reveal Regina. "Can I help you with something Madame Mayor," Lacey asked with a friendly smile, secretly dreading what Regina might want.

"I just wanted to offer my sympathies. Anyone would be a fool to believe these ridiculous rumors floating around," Regina said with mock feeling.

"I'm sorry, what are you talking about?" Lacey asked hesitantly, unsure where she was going. Regina's eyes widened in feigned surprise.

"You mean you don't know? Oh you poor girl, it's all over the paper," Regina said with a small smile as she handed Lacey her copy of the paper. Lacey scanned over it and mentally cursed herself for being so careless while Regina studied her reaction.

"How…how did this get in the paper?" Lacey stammered after a moment, attempting to act as Lacey, not Belle. "This…this…this isn't true," she lied.

"You can drop the act…Belle," Regina said smirking when Lacey's eyes widened. "Now that formalities are out of the way, I want to know something: how do you remember?" Regina asked, turning more serious.

"Do you really expect me to share something like that?" Lacey asked, dropping the terrified act completely since there was no reason for it anymore.

"I'm no fool. I know Rumplestiltskin played a part in it, after all, who else has that sort of power? But why do you remember when he doesn't?" Regina asked, her tone threatening. Lacey appeared completely unfazed.

"Magic of course," Lacey said dryly.

"I am not someone you want to make an enemy, Miss French. Especially in your…delicate condition," Regina said with a smile. Lacey tensed up slightly. "And before you ask, yes, I would. I don't appreciate it when people stand in my way. Now, what do you know about Emma? Is she the daughter of Snow White and Prince Charming and, if so, how did she escape the curse?" Regina asked seriously. Lacey hesitated for a moment, trying to decide if Regina was bluffing or not and decided it would be better for everyone if she appeared to cooperate.

"Yes, she is. I don't know how they sent her here, but they just wanted to protect her. They didn't want their own daughter suffering under the curse," Lacey said with a sigh.

"That's why they sent her here?" Regina asked, unconvinced.

"Parents will do anything when the safety of their child is at stake. After all, what would you have done with Emma if she was in our land when the curse hit? They know you better than I do and weren't willing to take that risk," Lacey said, choosing her words carefully.

"I suppose you have a point," Regina admitted. "But that doesn't explain why the clock started when she arrived. It means the curse is weakening," Regina pointed out.

"And you think I know how the curse works?" Lacey asked with a frown, hoping the Queen wouldn't call her bluff.

"You certainly know more than you're telling me so I suggest you start explaining," Regina said with a smile.

"That's quite enough Madame Mayor. Miss French is here to work, not for you to torment. I suggest you leave," Mr. Gold said, surprising both of the women who hadn't heard the clack of his cane against the floor.

"We will finish this later," Regina said with a smirk before glaring at Gold and leaving. Lacey breathed a sigh of relief as she left.

"Are you all right Miss French?" Gold asked, and Lacey couldn't help but smile inwardly.

"I'm fine, just a little shaken up," Lacey admitted. After a moment, she realized she needed to warn Gold about the article. "She wanted to ask me about an…um…article in the paper," Lacey said, handing Gold the copy of the paper Regina had given her. "Sorry," she apologized as she noticed Gold frown while he read. Gold looked up at her curiously.

"What on earth are you apologizing for?" Gold asked, baffled.

"Well, the article clearly suggests that…um…well…" Lacey began, not sure how to phrase it. At least, not while she was supposed to Lacey. Gold chuckled.

"Sweetheart, one would think that you've worked for me for long enough to know that I don't give a damn what these people think of me," Gold said with a small smile. "Though I must say it does bring up a rather curious point. I don't recall you ever mentioning a lover," he added with a raised eyebrow.

"I don't believe you've asked. Besides, it's more than a little complicated," Lacey said with a small laugh, enjoying the small piece of Rumplestiltskin Gold just showed her. "Do you have any children?" Lacey asked suddenly, wondering what Regina had programmed for his past.

"No, of course not," Gold scoffed, as if the very idea was laughable. "Let's just say I'm a difficult man to love," he added a little more gently.

"You might be surprised," Lacey said with a smile.

* * *

"So this is her?" Emma asked as she and Henry stood beside a young woman, a coma patient.

"Yeah, sleeping beauty. They call her Jane Doe right now since she hasn't woken up. Normally, we would need to find her prince to wake her up, but Prince Phillip died in their world. So, that means you have to wake her up since you're the savior!" Henry explained with a grin.

"And how do you expect me to do that?" Emma asked skeptically. Henry pulled out his book and handed it to her.

"Try reading her story to her. It would probably work better if her true love did it, but you're the next best thing. Please?" Henry asked, giving his best puppy dog eyes. Emma sighed and took a seat next to the bed.

"There once was a princess in a far off land by the name of Aurora. Like her mother before her she was beautiful and kind, but also hated by an evil witch by the name of Maleficent. Maleficent cast a terrible curse on Prince Phillip, the prince to whom Aurora was betrothed…" Emma read.

"What are you doing?" a voice asked, coming from a nurse who stood watching them. She was Chinese in origin and watched them curiously.

"We thought if we talked to her she might wake up," Henry explained. "Do you want to try?" he asked, noticing that Emma wasn't getting much of a reaction out of the sleeping beauty. "Oh, Emma, this is Ping. She's a nurse here. Ping, this is Emma, my birth mom," Henry quickly added. "So, do you wanna try?" he asked again. Ping hesitated.

"Sometimes it helps if someone they patient knows talks to them, but I've never met this girl before," she admitted. Ping looked at Henry, and eventually his puppy dog eyes won. "Sure, why not?" she said quietly, taking Emma's place.

"Thanks," Henry said grinning. Emma looked at him questioningly and Henry just shrugged. "It's worth a shot," he whispered.

"Prince Phillip was never seen again, but the beast he was turned into was hunted by many a fierce warrior, including Mulan, a female warrior from a far off land. Mulan managed to mortally wound the beast, who transformed back into Phillip long enough to ask the warrior to return to his homeland and protect the person he loved: Aurora. An honorable warrior, Mulan kept her promise and found Aurora, where she would stay until Maleficent returned, this time cursing Aurora, putting her-" Ping read, stopping when she felt something one her hand: the coma patient's hand.

"It's working!" Henry said with a grin, and Ping and Emma looked at him in awe. "Of course, I can't believe I didn't think about this sooner!" he added as he realized that Ping was Mulan.

"I can't believe it…she's been her for so long and she's never moved before," Ping said, immediately jumping up and grabbing Dr. Whale. "Dr. Whale, there's been some activity with the Jane Doe," Ping said.

"What happened?" Whale asked.

"Ping was reading to her and she grabbed her hand! Does this mean she's going to wake up soon?" Henry asked, growing excited.

"Don't get your hopes up. Sometimes there are some normal fluctuations like this," Whale said, trying to keep expectations low. "But I must say, this one's never moved before. And you're sure she moved?" he asked, and the three nodded.

"You should keep reading to her! You might be able to wake her up!" Henry exclaimed. Ping frowned.

"I can't, at least not right now. I'm sorry, but I have other work I have to do. I promise I'll read to her some more tomorrow if I get the chance," Ping said apologetically.

"Thanks! I know you won't be sorry," Henry said grinning as he pulled Emma out of the hospital.

"You think she's Mulan don't you?" Emma asked with a frown.

"What other explanation is there? Aurora and Mulan know each other, and I know that Jane Doe is Aurora! What other reason would there be for Aurora to react to her but not to you?" Henry asked. Emma wanted to believe it was just a coincidence, but she's was starting to believe there was no such thing.


	6. Chapter 6

**Eh, this one was a little annoying and pretty short. I hope you enjoy, and it should start picking up soon.**

"You don't really think it was just a coincidence do you? They knew each other back in their world! That's why she's starting to wake up. See, this is them," Henry said as they sat in Granny's Diner. He pointed out that page in the book that had the two women on it and Emma had to admit they looked like the nurse and coma patient.

"Look, kid, I can't explain what happened. If she wakes up then good for her, but that doesn't mean she's cursed," Emma pointed out, causing Henry to frown.

"Why won't you believe me? You heard what Ping said. She'd never moved before today! You're the reason she's waking up!" Henry argued. Emma sighed.

"You should be ashamed of yourself," the pair heard Granny say. Curious, they turned to see Lacey standing there, looking as surprised as they were.

"I'm sorry?" Lacey asked, taking a seat. It was then that she caught a glimpse of a newspaper on the counter. "You don't really believe that do you?" she asked weakly.

"You haven't exactly dated anyone recently," Ruby pointed out. "Sorry about her. Do you want your usual?" she asked, sympathy showing in her eyes. Lacey nodded, letting out a sigh as the waitress got to work.

"Hey Miss French, are you all right?" Henry asked, taking a seat near Lacey. Lacey gave him a small smile.

"I'm fine. Don't worry, I'm used to it," Lacey admitted, knowing that nothing anyone said could ever hurt as much as the accusations her father threw against her back in their world. Emma raised an eyebrow.

"You're used to it? Granny was a lot warmer to you last time we met," Emma noted.

"Well, last time I didn't have Sydney Glass printing stories in the newspaper about my relationship with my employer," Lacey pointed out. "I haven't had to deal with much lately, but some people still give me grief from time to time for working for Gold," she added, carefully watching what she said. While Lacey wanted nothing more than to let Emma know everything she knew about the curse, she knew that Regina would be keeping a close eye on her.

"What sort of stories?" Emma asked, curious.

"Well, just one story printed this morning. Granny has a copy if you want to read it yourself," Lacey said with a small smile. "To save you the time, I'm pregnant and… well, let's just say I haven't exactly been in any relationships lately," Lacey explained. Emma nodded in understanding.

"And naturally, he's everyone's first guess," Emma said, and Lacey nodded.

"Exactly. But let them believe what they want to believe," Lacey said, refusing to let anything get to her. "I'm sure something more exciting will come along for the town to gossip about soon enough," she added. Henry grinned.

"Like a coma patient waking up?" he suggested, and Lacey's eyes widened. "Well, she's not awake yet, but she actually moved! We had nurse Ping read to her," Henry explained, and Lacey's eyes went from Henry to Emma in a pleasant disbelief.

"That's incredible!" Lacey said, a smile forming on her face. "The poor girl's been in a coma for a long time now," she mused.

"Emma's…been good luck. First the clock tower was finally fixed and now Jane Doe might be waking up!" Henry said, feeling excited but being careful not to tell anyone about Emma being the savior, but Lacey caught his switch.

"I keep telling him it's just a coincidence," Emma said. Lacey smiled, and grabbed her food in its to-go box.

"I think one day you'll find that there are no coincidences. Have a nice day Emma, Henry," Lacey said before leaving the pair. "Oh and Henry? You should come by pawnshop some time," Lacey added as she left.

"That was really weird," Henry said, and Emma eyed him curiously. "Lacey should be freaking out about the newspaper. She freaks out over everything," he explained.

"She probably saw the paper already," Emma said dismissively.

"You don't understand. The moment Granny spoke to her Lacey would have freaked out. She's acting really strange," Henry said.

"Hormones can do strange things to a woman," Emma pointed out. "Come on, let's get going," she said.

"Right," Henry said grinning.

* * *

"So what did you think about old Goldie?" David asked as he popped a fry into his mouth.

"I thought she was absolutely perfect. Are you always this good at picking out pets for prospective customers?" Mary Margaret asked with a smile.

"I'm usually way off," David admitted with a laugh. "Something just told me you'd like Goldie. I can't explain it," he explained.

"Well, you were absolutely right," Mary Margaret said.

"How long have you been teaching?" David asked, making casual conversation. Mary Margaret thought for a moment.

"You know, I'm really not sure. I've been doing it for as long as I can remember," she admitted. "I really enjoy it and I especially love the kids," Mary Margaret said.

"What better job than the one you love? I like working at the shelter, but I feel like I should be doing something more meaningful with my life," David said.

"It's meaningful to the animals," Mary Margaret pointed out. "Do you have anything in mind?" she asked. David chuckled.

"I have no idea. But then again, if I did I'd probably be doing it," David said. "Why was yesterday the first time we spoke? I know we've both lived here forever," he said. Mary Margaret thought for a moment.

"I don't know. It's like some unseen force was keeping us apart. But that's ridiculous right?" Mary Margaret asked with a giggle.

"Completely," David said with a laugh.


	7. Chapter 7

**I apologize for the lateness, but I hope you enjoy!**

It was late by the time Lacey finally got home, having stayed a little later in the hopes that Henry would stop by. She hadn't failed to notice the book the boy had and recognized the two women in the picture from this land. Something told Lacey that Henry knew about the curse and she knew she would need plenty of help to ensure that Emma broke it.

"Regina, what are you doing here?" Lacey asked with a frown, seeing the Queen standing outside of her house.

"I wanted to continue our little chat, particularly since I have it on good authority that Aurora is waking up," Regina said with a frown.

"I assume you know more about the curse than I do. I didn't create it and I certainly didn't cast it. Besides, why are you surprised? The curse is bound to break eventually," Lacey said, a small smile forming on her face. Regina's frown deepened.

"What?" Regina asked flatly.

"Any curse can be broken. I believe you're the one that told me that," Lacey pointed out. Regina's features softened before she let out small laugh.

"And that worked out so well for you didn't it?" Regina taunted.

"He chose to stay under his curse. No one would choose to stay under this one. I don't know how, but this curse will be broken. Good will win," Lacey said, remembering the story she and Rumplestiltskin had rehearsed a hundred times back in their world in case a situation such as this were to arise.

"There are no happy endings in this world except for mine," Regina argued with a smirk.

"You don't look happy to me. Everyone listens to what you say because they fear you, not because they love you. You have no friends, and Henry is the only family you have. I know you were a good person once, so why not be her again? Help me break this curse," Lacey pleaded.

"And why would I do that?" Regina asked incredulously. "This is what I wanted. I cast this curse to get my revenge on Snow White, and she is absolutely miserable," she said with a sinister smile.

"We all are, and so are you," Lacey pointed out sympathetically.

"This is the girl that Rumplestiltskin nearly lost his powers for? He's an even bigger fool than I thought. I should have locked you in a tower instead of letting you roam free," Regina mused, shaking her head. "In fact, it wouldn't be too hard to make you disappear in this world," she added with a smirk, causing Lacey to tense up.

"You wouldn't," Lacey argued weakly, knowing the Evil Queen wasn't bluffing.

"Oh, I don't make idle threats. It wouldn't be that hard, perhaps a mishap at the town line?" Regina suggested, still smiling.

"What do you want?" Lacey asked tiredly. She was eager to be finished with Regina as soon as possible, but knew that the Queen wasn't done yet.

"Stay away from Henry," Regina warned.

"Why? He's just a boy," Lacey asked, feigning confusion but genuinely curious about why Regina wanted her away from Henry.

"Henry…believes the curse is real. I don't want you filling his head with foolish ideas and I have eyes everywhere. Your conversation with him over lunch didn't go unnoted," Regina said, the threat evident in her voice. "If you refuse to cooperate, well…let's just say it won't be pretty," Regina added. Lacey stiffened, but refused to back down.

"Is threatening me really a good idea? After all, when the curse breaks, and it will break, I don't believe the Dark One would be too thrilled to hear about it," Lacey said, watching Regina's reaction. Lacey knew her husband's reputation was the only weapon she had against Regina and she planned on using it. Regina frowned.

"The curse will not break. I will make sure of that. Remember what I said Miss French and know that I am a woman of my word," Regina said shortly before leaving. With a sigh of relief, Lacey unlocked the door to her apartment and collapsed on her bed.

"What have I gotten myself into?" Lacey asked, mentally cursing herself for the hundredth time that day for being so careless in revealing her identity to Regina.

* * *

"Come on, we've got to check on Aurora! She might be awake now," Henry said, dragging Emma off towards the hospital. The rest of their day had been fairly uneventful with Henry trying and failing to convince Emma the curse was real.

"Kid, here's the thing: I don't think she's going to just wake up all of a sudden," Emma said skeptically, refusing to mention that she was starting to think there was more to everything than just a coincidence. She was far from believing in the curse but wanted to stick around to figure out what exactly was going on in Storybrooke.

"That's what you think," Henry said with a smirk. The hospital was buzzing with activity, more activity than usual. "See, she must be awake!" Henry exclaimed. Emma grabbed the attention Graham who happened to be there.

"What's going on?" Emma asked, curious. Graham's face was serious.

"Our Jane Doe, she's missing. Her IVs were ripped out but there don't appear to be any signs of a struggle," Graham explained. A pair of heels clicked against the floor and approached the pair.

"Henry, what are you doing here?" Regina asked, not pleased to find her son with Emma.

"Henry decided to spend some time with me while you were working. Is that a problem? Besides, we have bigger things to worry about, like finding our Jane Doe," Emma pointed out. Regina frowned, not pleased with everything that had gone wrong the past few days.

"Will she be okay?" Henry asked the nearby doctor Whale.

"She's been feeding on tubes for years on constant supervision. We need to find her as soon as possible or she won't be," Whale said solemnly.

"Well then, let's quit yapping and start looking," Emma said.

"Henry we're going home. Sherriff, find our Jane Doe. You heard Whale, time is precious. And as for you Miss Swan, I suggest you let our Sherriff handle this. I believe you are a guest in our town and we couldn't possibly burden you with our problems," Regina ordered dryly as she took Henry with her who couldn't even utter a word in protest.

"Doctor, how long between your rounds since you saw her?" Graham asked, jumping to work.

"Eight hours or so. One of my nurses, Ping, claims she saw the patient asleep about five hours ago," Whale said.

"Then that's what we need to account for," Graham said, and Emma followed him to the security room where they discovered that Jane Doe disappeared two hours prior, towards the woods.

"Wait, I want to come with you," a quiet voice called from behind them before they could leave the hospital.

"We could use all the help we can get," Graham said to Ping with a small smile as the three of them disappeared into the woods with Graham in the lead. They walked in silence until they saw a figure drifting in the woods.

"I think that's her," Emma said and began to walk towards her until Graham placed an arm in front of her.

"Careful, we don't want to scare her…wait, where's Ping?" Graham asked, noticing the nurse wasn't beside Emma anymore. He turned around to see her rushing towards the Jane Doe.

"Are you all right?" Ping asked, receiving an almost glazed look in response.

"Mulan?" the girl asked before promptly fainting into Ping's arms.


	8. Chapter 8

**Hey, it's up on time! What a surprise! Anyways, here's a chapter. Enjoy!**

"Come in later this week and we'll get an ultrasound done. Since you're about sixteen weeks along, we might be able to determine the baby's sex if it's in a favorable position," Whale said, feeling optimistic. Lacey smiled.

"Thank you," she said genuinely. Lacey started to leave when she remembered something. "Oh, I almost forgot. I heard that the coma patient was starting to wake up yesterday. How is she doing?" Lacey asked, having not been to Granny's yet to hear the news.

"She woke up last night and disappeared. If it hadn't been for Emma, Ping, and the sheriff we might have lost her for good. She's still in her room until we can clear her to go home," Whale said with a small smile.

"That's wonderful," Lacey said, breathing a sigh of relief. "Can she receive visitors?" she asked, curious as to what memories Regina had given to the coma patient she never thought would wake up. Whale nodded.

"Be careful. We don't want to overwhelm her," Whale cautioned. Lacey gave him a reassuring smile and made her way to the Jane Doe's room. The girl was wide awake and eyed Lacey curiously.

"Hi," Lacey greeted with a tentative smile.

"Hello. Did we know each other before the accident? I'm sorry, I can't remember. Honestly, I don't even know my own name," she admitted.

"No, I heard you woke up and thought you might like a little company. You really don't remember anything?" Lacey asked, curious. The girl shook her head.

"Every time I try to remember anything my head hurts. The doctor said it might come back eventually and told me not to rush it. But how can't I? I want to know who I am," the girl said with a sigh. Lacey thought for a moment, wondering if there was anything in the pawnshop that used to belong to Aurora.

"I'm sure it will come back to you. Is there anyone in town who seems like they know you?" Lacey asked.

"No one. One of the nurses, I think her name is Ping, has been keeping an eye on me and helping me come to terms with waking up. I swear, she looks so familiar for some reason, but she insists that we never met before the coma. She actually said that I called her Mulan when she found me," the girl admitted with a small laugh. Lacey's eyes widened.

"Any idea why?" Lacey asked.

"I asked her about it, and she claimed it was probably because of the story she read to me. It was Sleeping Beauty, and yet different. Her prince died and Mulan decided to protect the princess in his place. Apparently I moved a little when she read it, but she and everyone else insist it was just a coincidence. They're probably right," she said.

"Maybe you two knew each other in another life," Lacey suggested with a smile. The girl thought it over for a moment.

"You might be right. Or it might just be one huge coincidence," she said. Lacey's smile widened slightly.

"I like to believe that there are no coincidences. Just a few days ago no one thought you were ever going to wake and yet here you are," Lacey pointed out.

"Here I am. Thank you, for coming to talk to me," the girl said with a smile.

"I enjoyed our chat. I hope your memories come back to you soon," Lacey said, standing to leave. "I have to get going. Work," she explained with a smile. "My name's Lacey by the way," she added, realizing she hadn't told the girl her name.

"Nice to meet you. I'll tell you my name once I figure it out," the Jane Doe joked with a smile.

"With any luck that will be sooner rather than later," Lacey said with a smile as she left.

* * *

"Good morning Miss Swan," Graham greeted with a smile as Emma walked in the diner. "I'd been meaning to speak with you. You see, I want to offer you a job as a deputy," Graham said.

"And why is that?" Emma asked, raising an eyebrow.

"You were a huge help in finding the Jane Doe when she escaped the hospital, and I could use the extra hands. Things have been a lot more exciting since you showed up and I have a feeling I'll need the help," Graham explained. "So? What do you say?" he asked, after not receiving a response from Emma.

"I'm not staying around for long. Just a few more days to make sure Henry is in a safe environment," Emma said, trying to keep herself from getting attached to the small town she found herself in.

"Emma, Henry found his way to Boston just to find you. I don't think he'll stay put if you decide to leave, and this time he might get hurt," Graham pointed out.

"I can't live in the Inn forever and I don't have the money to pay for an apartment here," Emma argued weakly.

"I have room in my apartment if you want to stay there until you find a place of your own," Mary Margaret inserted. "Sorry, I couldn't help but overhear," she said apologetically.

"There you go; you have a place to stay with one of the kindest women in Storybrooke. And with the deputy's salary, you'd be off her couch in no time," Graham said with a smile.

"And I actually have two beds so you won't be stuck on the couch," Mary Margaret said. Emma eyed her strangely, curious as to why she seemed so eager for Emma to stay. "I think it will do Henry some good for you to stay around," Mary Margaret explained with a genuine smile.

"From what we've heard, you don't have much of a life back in Boston. Stay here, and become a part of this community," Graham said with a smile.

"This is a lot to take in. I need to think about," Emma said with a sigh.

"Well, it's not like there's anyone else lined up for the position," Graham said with a laugh.

"Emma! There you are! Have you checked up on the Jane Doe yet?" Henry asked, as full of energy as ever. "Apparently she doesn't have any memories. We need to see if we can help her," he continued, dragging Emma out of the diner without giving her a chance to protest.

"I guess duty calls?" Emma said weakly to Graham and Mary Margaret who giggled as the blonde disappeared with her son.

**Guys! I really enjoy getting feedback and critiques, and I love hearing your suggestions! Quite few things are different thanks to this AU, so if there's anything you want to see the result of thanks to it let me know!**


	9. Chapter 9

**Welcome new followers!**

"Good morning Dr. Whale! How's Jane Doe?" Henry asked with Emma right behind him.

"Awake and feeling pretty chatty. She's already had one visitor today so I don't think having anymore could hurt. She seemed to enjoy the company," Whale said with a small smile.

"Who stopped by, my mom?" Henry asked, assuming the Queen would want to see if Aurora remembered her real name.

"Lacey French actually," Whale said as he showed them to the Jane Doe's room. "You have two people who wanted to stop by if you're feeling up to it," he said to the patient.

"I feel fine," she said with a smile. "I'm sorry if I don't recognize you. My memories haven't come back yet," she said apologetically.

"Oh, we don't know each other. I'm Henry, and this is my birth mother, Emma. Whale says you haven't met my adoptive mother yet, Regina. She's the mayor," Henry said, making the introductions.

"It's a long story," Emma explained.

"So what did Lacey talk to you about? Henry asked, curious.

"Mostly my memories. It's hard to explain, but a lot of what she said made sense. I'm sure I'll remember soon," she said optimistically. Henry's eyes widened.

"How long until they let you of here?" Emma asked.

"Not too long. The doctor says I just need to stay a few more days until he can be sure that everything's fine. He's pretty optimistic about it," she said.

"Have you thought about a name? Everyone needs something to call you until you remember your real name," Emma suggested, knowing there was a chance she wouldn't ever remember. The girl thought for a moment.

"No, but that's a good idea. Maybe having a name will help me remember my past," the girl said, sounding contemplative.

"How about Aurora?" Henry offered immediately, jumping at the opportunity to help jog her memories. The girl giggled.

"Like the fairytale Ping read to me?" she asked with a smile. Henry nodded. "You know what? I think that's a great idea. Something about the story woke me up, so maybe a name from the story will help me remember. Maybe it will bring good luck," Aurora said, feeling a strange connection to the name. Henry grinned.

"Then it's nice to meet you, Aurora," Henry said.

"Do you really want to be called Aurora?" Emma asked, trying to see if she was just trying to make Henry happy.

"I'm sure. It just seems…right," Aurora said, not sure how to explain it. Emma shrugged, having no intention to contest her decision.

"Well, I've gotta go, you two have fun!" Henry said with a grin as he raced outside of the hospital.

"Henry, wait," Emma said, but the kid was already gone. "That kid," Emma muttered.

"He seems like a handful," Aurora said sympathetically.

"He is," Emma agreed, but she couldn't help but notice that Henry was really growing on her. _No, you're just staying here a few more days. Regina is his mother now, _she thought, trying to convince herself but failing.

* * *

"Good morning Mr. Gold," Lacey greeted with a friendly smile as she entered the pawnshop.

"You appear to be in good in spirits," Gold noted. "I take it your appointment went well?" he asked with a formal curiosity.

"I go in for an ultrasound in a couple of days," Lacey announced with a shy smile. She bit her lip in hesitation before continuing. "Do you think you could come with me?" Lacey asked suddenly. Gold was visibly surprised. "I'm sorry, I realize it's a strange request," she admitted with a nervous chuckle.

"It certainly is," Gold noted, trying to understand his strange employee. "Don't you have someone else that can go with? The child's father, your father, a friend?" he asked.

"Things with the child's father are a bit complicated at the moment," Lacey said with a small smile. "My relationship with my father is strained at best, and I don't have many friends besides you," she explained.

"We're friends now are we?" Gold asked with a raised eyebrow. Lacey giggled.

"Of course. Or does being friends ruin your reputation?" Lacey asked teasingly, and she saw Gold suppress a small chuckle. "Just because you're my employer doesn't mean I can't consider you a friend," she pointed out.

"Many in this town would disagree with your choice of friends," Gold countered, giving a dark smile.

"If I cared what people thought of my relationships I wouldn't work here, now would I?" Lacey asked with a smile of her own. Gold chuckled.

"You've really changed these past few days," he noted.

"I think it's for the better. Now, will you come with me to the ultrasound? Please? It would really mean a lot to me," Lacey said, hoping to persuade him. She knew it would mean a lot to Gold as well once he got his memory back.

"I suppose it can't hurt anything," Gold began dismissively. "Now, I believe you have some work to do?" he reminded her, and Lacey suppressed a grin as she made her way to the back room.

"Thank you," Lacey said sincerely as she took a seat and pulled out the written copy of all the objects in the shop. She smiled as she saw Gold give the smallest of smiles out of the corner of her eye. _Focus, I need to see if I can jog Aurora's memory_, she thought, snapping herself out of her daze.

Scanning over the list quickly, Lacey mentally marked off items that she knew belonged to someone besides Aurora. Something on the list caught her attention: a pair rings. Lacey never questioned their origin, but Belle knew exactly what they were. "Mr. Gold?" Lacey called, curious. She made her way back to the front of the shop.

"Yes, Miss French?" Gold asked, curious as to what she could want.

"I'm sorry, I just…I found something strange in the inventory I wanted to ask about. It says here we have a pair of rings in this shop; wedding bands. Pardon me for asking, but I'm curious as to how they got here," Lacey admitted, wondering what Regina had programmed in for the rings. Gold took a look at the list and frowned.

"I'm not sure. This is very strange, I remember every deal I've ever made…where did they come from?" Gold asked.

"Why don't we take a look at them? It might jog your memory," Lacey suggested, hoping it would. Gold gave her a nod of approval and Lacey quickly found the box containing the rings. "Here they are," she said, opening the small, delicate box holding their wedding bands.

"Where have I seen these before?" Gold mused, taking one of the rings in his hand.

"Try it on, it might come back to you," Lacey suggested. Gold did as she suggested and frowned when he realized it fit perfectly.

"A peculiar coincidence," Gold said dismissively, but he hesitated to remove the ring. "Why don't you try the other ring on? See how you like it," Gold suggested, deep in thought. Feeling hopeful, Lacey tried on her ring.

"A perfect fit," Lacey noted, watching Gold for any reaction. "This is pretty odd," she added with a small chuckle, not removing the ring from her finger.

"Very," Gold agreed, unsure of what to make of everything. His eyes went back to the ring on his finger, and Lacey bit her lip. "And I'm still not sure where they came from," he admitted, turning his attention back to Lacey.

"Maybe I can help," Lacey said. She hesitated for a moment and then kissed Gold.

"Hello?" a voice came as the door opened.


	10. Chapter 10

**Here's another chapter, I hope you enjoy it!**

At the sound of a voice, Lacey immediately pulled away feeling more than a little panicked. "I-I-I'm so, so sorry. That was inappropriate of me," she apologized, pulling the wedding band off of her finger. Gold looked at her, baffled and speechless.

"I'm sorry, should I just come back later?" the visitor questioned, sounding as embarrassed as the pair felt. Turning, Lacey was surprised to see just who it was.

"Henry?" Lacey stammered, her mind racing. Frantically she dug through her thoughts for something, anything to say, but nothing came.

"Henry, why don't you take a look around the shop while I speak to Miss French?" Gold suggested, his expression unreadable. Lacey looked in his eyes for some sense of recognition, but Gold hid his emotions well.

"Right. Sure thing Mr. Gold," Henry stammered, turning beside him to look at the various objects in Gold's pawnshop. In the meantime, Lacey and Gold stepped into the backroom.

"Mr. Gold, I am so sorry about that. That was very unprofessional of me and I shouldn't have done that, especially not at work, and I really am sorry and these hormones aren't helping and-" Lacey began apologetically, mentally cursing herself for being so careless again.

"Relax Miss French, I have no intention of firing you if that's what you are so worried about," Gold interrupted calmly.

"You aren't firing me?" Lacey asked, genuinely confused. She could tell by now that the kiss hadn't work like she knew it wouldn't, after all Mr. Gold wasn't in love with her, and assumed Gold would fire her.

"Consider this a final warning. In the years you've worked for me you have proven yourself to be a valuable asset so I have given you some leniency these past few days, but that ends here. I am your employer, not your friend," Gold scolded.

"Yes, I understand," Lacey said, feeling a sense of relief. While losing her job wouldn't matter once the curse broke, Lacey knew it might take Emma a while to break it and didn't want to spend possibly months looking for a new job.

"Now, I would prefer that you keep your job. Good help these days is really hard to find. But, make no mistake: if I find that you are more trouble than you're worth I will not hesitate to fire you," Gold warned. Lacey's eyes widened, hearing a touch of Rumplestiltskin in Gold's words.

"I, I um…I understand," Lacey stammered, caught off guard by the familiar words. She looked over Gold again curiously.

"Is something the matter Miss French?" Gold asked, and Lacey immediately shook her head.

"No sir," she answered, hiding her disappointment.

"Good. Now, let's see what the boy wants," Gold began, and both he and Lacey could hear the sound of feet scampering away towards the front of the building. Gold chuckled as he and Lacey made their way back into the store. "Henry, what can we help you with?" he asked with a small smirk.

"I wanted to talk to Lacey, but I can come back later if you like," Henry said, his face slightly red.

"Why don't you two chat in the back?" Gold suggested with a smile, gesturing towards the back of his shop. Without a word, Henry immediately followed his suggestion while Lacey hesitated for a moment before doing the same.

"Hello Henry," Lacey said when they were out of earshot.

"You remember, don't you? That's why you wanted to talk me, and that's why you talked to Aurora this morning isn't it?" Henry asked, wanting to see if his suspicions were correct. Lacey smiled.

"I do," Lacey admitted without shame. Henry's face lit up, but Lacey's now serious expression kept him from verbally expressing his joy.

"So who are you? And how much do you know about the curse?" Henry asked. Lacey hesitated for a moment, wondering how much of her story was in Henry's book. Eventually she decided breaking the curse was worth Henry knowing her identity.

"My name is Belle," Lacey began.

* * *

Emma barely set foot outside of the hospital when she caught sight of the mayor. "Good morning, Regina," Emma greeted with a small, forced smile. Regina looked less than pleased to see the blonde in front of her.

"Miss Swan, I'm surprised Henry isn't with you again," Regina said dryly. "For someone who isn't staying in town, you certainly are spending a lot of time with my son," she continued with a frown.

"Are you here to talk to the coma patient?" Emma asked, ignoring the jab.

"Of course. As mayor, it is my duty to ensure that she finds her place in the community. It's a shame to see her without her memories, but I'm sure they'll come back soon," Regina said with a smirk. "Speaking of that poor girl, what brings you here?" she asked, her smile widening and growing fake.

"Henry wanted to see how she was doing," Emma answered reluctantly, and Regina's smile swiftly vanished.

"What?" Regina asked flatly. "Listen here, and listen close Miss Swan. Henry is my son, and seeing as how you're leaving in a few days I suggest you stay away from him. Is that understood?" Regina asked, the threat clear in her voice.

"Yes, because I'm going to leave him with a woman who makes threats to get what she wants," Emma replied dryly, crossing her arms defiantly.

"You gave me your word," Regina reminded Emma, barely containing her rage. "Your continued presence is not healthy for Henry. Encouraging this fantasy of his that we are all cursed won't help him face reality," Regina said harshly.

"I didn't realize he'd shared his theory with you," Emma said with a raised eyebrow. Regina frowned, growing tired of this game.

"Of course he hasn't. Do you really think he would tell me he believes I'm the Evil Queen? No, but he has told Miss Blanchard and Dr. Hopper," Regina said.

"Look, of course I know this whole curse idea is crazy. This is the real world and there are no happy endings. That's why I'm going along with it, so he will realize how ridiculous the whole thing is," Emma admitted, though she hid that she had witnessed some very strange coincidences since coming to Storybrooke. Regina smiled slightly.

"I suppose I should be thanking you then. But, my warning still stands: stay away from my son. I want what's best for him, and that isn't you," Regina said darkly before entering the hospital.

* * *

"Good morning Mary Margaret!" a friendly voice called as Mary Margaret read in the table in Granny's Diner. Recognizing the voice immediately, Mary Margaret looked up with a smile on her face to see David right in front of her.

"Good morning David," Mary Margaret replied, feeling giddy. "The book's really good. It was a great recommendation, just like Goldie," she added.

"Did you hire a pet sitter for her?" David asked, noticing the dog was absent.

"Archie agreed to look after her while I work. He said that he already has Pongo, so what's another dog to take care of during work?" Mary Margaret said. "Walk me to work?" she asked, feeling like a schoolgirl.

"Gladly," David said, chivalrously offering an arm.

"Such a gentleman," Mary Margaret said with a small giggle.

"Well, it does come with a condition. You have to come have dinner with me," David said, a smile on his face.

"What about Kathryn? Your wife?" Mary Margaret asked, coming back down to Earth. The last thing she wanted to do was to ruin a marriage, even if it meant she herself would be unhappy.

"She works late tonight and besides, what's a dinner between two friends going to hurt?" David said, and Mary Margaret allowed herself to feel satisfied with the answer.


	11. Chapter 11

**I'm sorry for the lack of an update on Thursday, but I was out of town and too exhausted to get the chapter finished and up. So, it's a little late! Well, more than a little. It's actually a pretty short chapter, but only because there's only one POV in it. Anyways, I hope you enjoy!**

"You're Belle?" Henry asked, and Lacey nodded. "Of course! That makes so much sense! That means Mr. Gold is Rumplestiltskin right? Your true love? Does he remember too?" Henry asked, firing off questions as quickly as he could think of them.

"Slow down a little," Lacey said with a small chuckle. "Yes, Mr. Gold is Rumplestiltskin, but he doesn't remember. I was trying to restore his memories with true love's kiss when you walked in, but I don't believe it worked," Lacey explained.

"How do you remember? I mean, he's the Dark One. He had to have found a way to keep his memories once the curse was cast. I mean, he _did_ create the curse," Henry said, and Lacey frowned.

"How much do you know about our story?" Lacey asked, curious. She knew the book's version must be different from reality if Henry believed Rumplestiltskin was still the Dark One.

"You were his maid and you fell in love. You tried to kiss him and then he threw you out, and it doesn't say what happened to you after that," Henry admitted. Lacey thought for a moment, trying to decide if she should tell Henry the truth or not.

"The truth is a little more complicated than that. The Dark One might have been able to find a way for us both to regain our memories, but there was no way for him to do that without magic," Lacey began, and Henry looked confused.

"But, he had magic," Henry pointed out, and Lacey gave him a small smile.

"By the time the curse was cast Rumplestiltskin hadn't had magic for about two or three years. When I kissed him, I broke his curse," Lacey admitted.

"But he had magic! After you kissed him he managed to kill a fairy, have a swordfight with Charming, and face the Evil Queen! He had to have used magic," Henry said skeptically. Lacey smiled a tired smile.

"You would be amazed what you can accomplish with just the illusion of power. He didn't kill the fairy but instead transported her far away with an alchemic powder he carried in case of an emergency, he wasn't the one to fight with prince, and Regina was too caught up in her own problems with Snow White to notice anything different about his behavior. With just a few magic wands it wasn't too hard to perform what little magic actually needed to be cast," Lacey explained.

"Wait…did you help him? But you're supposed to be one of the good guys!" Henry exclaimed, feeling devastated. Lacey sighed and leaned against the wall. "You did? But he created the curse, the one we're trapped in!" Lacey mentally flinched, and then reminded herself that she should have expected this response.

"Henry…it's a little more complicated than that. Rumplestiltskin needed the curse to be cast, but that's not my story to tell. I shared your feelings as well at first, but the curse will be broken. I know the curse seems horrible, and believe me it is, but it won't last forever. It will break," Lacey said, determination in her voice. Henry hesitated for a moment and Lacey could sense his distrust. Lacey sighed. "Look, I understand if you don't trust me. I'm not proud of helping with the curse, but that's one of the reasons Rumple made sure I would remember. He knows I will do everything in my power to help it break," Lacey said. Henry looked her over and thought about her words.

"All right. I'm gonna need your help with Operation Cobra. It's mine and Emma's codename for breaking the curse," Henry decided after a moment.

"I'm afraid it won't be that simple. Your mother knows that I remember. She won't be too thrilled about us talking, not after specifically telling me not to. What I can do is provide information. I know who most people in town are and I know some details about the curse that even Regina doesn't know," Lacey said.

"Like what?" Henry asked, genuinely curious. His excitement shone on his face and it was clear Henry was glad to find someone who didn't think his theory was crazy and even believed it.

"Emma is the savior. Rumplestiltskin did everything in his power to keep Regina from knowing that, and I'm doing the same now. Your mother has figured out who Emma's parents are, but not her role in this curse," Lacey explained, using a hushed tone.

"Right. I'm doing what I can to keep her from figuring it out, but we need to get Emma to believe soon so she can break the curse," Henry said.

"Exactly. The sooner she breaks the curse, the better. I'll talk to her and I'll see what I can do to convince her that all of this is real. In the meantime, lay low. Don't do anything that makes your mother suspicious and I'll get you a list of who's who in town," Lacey said, thinking quickly.

"Thanks, Belle," Henry said with a grin, and Lacey couldn't help but smile at her real name. "I'll be careful, so you better be too!" he added as he disappeared out the door. Belle chuckled once the boy was out of sight.

"You are one special kid, Henry," Lacey said with a smile.


	12. Chapter 12

**Thanks for all of the reviews, favorites, and follows! This is another short one because we've only got two POVs, but the next one ****_will_**** be longer. No Emma again this time, but I promise she'll show up in the next chapter. Let's just say the next few are going to be really fun :)**

Henry bounded down the street in the hopes of finding Emma until he almost ran into the one person he was trying to avoid. "Sorry mom," Henry said apologetically. Regina looked past him, trying to see where he came from.

"You should be more careful. Where were you?" Regina asked with a frown.

"Nowhere," Henry answered too quickly. "Nowhere," he repeated, with a much more relaxed tone, but Regina knew better.

"You were speaking to Lacey French weren't you?" Regina asked, and the look on Henry's face gave Regina her answer. "Henry, you shouldn't go near her. The poor girl is in a very delicate state of mind thanks to all of these disgusting rumors in the paper, and there's no telling what sort lies she could be telling you," Regina said with a small but fake smile.

"I wasn't talking to her. I was…with Emma," Henry lied. Regina gave him a knowing smile.

"Oh really? Why, I just saw Miss Swan and you weren't with her. I don't appreciate being lied to," she said sternly, with a sickeningly sweet smile. "It appears Miss Swan is a bad influence on you. I don't want you going anywhere near her," Regina added, her smile disappearing.

"But she's my mom," Henry protested. Regina sighed.

"Henry, this is for your own good. I am your mother, not her. Emma told me herself that she isn't staying here forever. I don't want you to get too attached just so she can break your heart," Regina said, kneeling and placing a hand on Henry's shoulder.

"She's not leaving. She can't leave!" Henry said, shaking his head.

"Why do you think she's still staying at the inn? If she wanted to stay she would be searching for a house, and Sheriff Graham even offered her a job she hasn't taken. Miss Swan won't be here for long," Regina said, determined to make it so by any means necessary.

"You're wrong. She's going to stay. Emma has to stay!" Henry said, just as determined as Regina. Regina frowned in response.

"Henry, I know you want her to stay. But sometimes that isn't enough. This isn't a fairytale; this is the real world," Regina said darkly.

"Because you took away all the happy endings," Henry muttered underneath his breath, but Regina still heard him and grew cold.

"This book of fairytales Miss Blanchard gave you is filling your head with ridiculous ideas. You think I'm the Evil Queen? Why? What have I ever done wrong?" Regina asked, almost pleading. In that moment, Henry saw more of Regina than the Evil Queen than he ever had. Feeling confused, Henry ran off. Regaining her mask, Regina stood up and walked towards the pawnshop.

She needed to have a conversation with one of the owner's employees.

* * *

"Whatever did the boy want?" Gold asked, curious. He stood at the counter as usual while Lacey stood after watching Henry leave.

"He wanted to know what your first name was," Lacey lied with a playful smile. Gold's actions since the kiss confused her, but she knew that he would understand what she meant if the kiss truly did work. While she knew it was a long shot, Lacey couldn't help but hope.

"Him and everyone else in this blasted town," Gold said with a chuckle, much to Lacey's disappointment. "I'm sorry about being so short with you earlier. I have a reputation to uphold and Henry was listening," he said.

"I thought you didn't care what anyone thought," Lacey pointed out with a smirk. Gold laughed, a rare sight Lacey knew.

"Yes, well, people expect less from the town monster when they think he's a monster," Gold admitted with a small smile. Lacey took the opportunity to approach the counter and she placed her arms upon it.

"You're not a monster," Lacey argued with a gentle determination, taking the chance to look him in the eye. "If you were, you would have fired me immediately. You are a good person, even if you don't see it yourself," she said with a reassuring smile. Gold laughed bitterly.

"You may be a kind woman, but you are terribly naïve," he pointed out darkly. "One of these days it will come back to bite you, if it hasn't already by putting a fatherless child in your belly," Gold continued, slipping back into the Mr. Gold everyone else knew. Lacey was beginning to grow frustrated and furious.

"You are the most infuriating man I've ever met," Lacey said, exasperated. "One minute you're apologizing for something that's my fault and the next you're insulting me. What are you playing at?" she demanded. Gold's jab was more irritating than hurtful and Lacey was growing impatient with her love's cursed persona.

"I believe it would be best if you got back to work," Gold said, almost coldly.

"Why, because you're too afraid to let someone in?" Lacey demanded, and she immediately knew she struck a nerve. "If you want me to get back to work, fine," she conceded after a moment, making her way to the back room. Lacey was quickly discovering that the forwardness that won her Rumplestiltskin might not be so effective with Mr. Gold.

"Foolish man," Lacey muttered as she pulled out the books. Gold was probably worse about confessing his feelings than Rumplestiltskin had been, though Lacey had to admit she had more time with Rumplestiltskin. Still, Lacey couldn't remember a time when Rumplestiltskin had been so infuriating in response to her advances. With a sigh, Lacey turned her mind back to work and reminded herself that everything would work itself out once the curse broke.

Lacey stood to retrieve the next book when she felt a hand clamp around her mouth and a gun against her temple.


	13. Chapter 13

**So, last chapter was the most reviewed chapter of the story so far, so thanks for that y'all! I would apologize for the cliffhanger in the last chapter, but I had too much fun with it. Who is the mystery person? Let me hear your theories, as you won't find out their identity until the next chapter :P  
**

Gold's head snapped up from his work at the sound of a crash in the back. "Is everything all right, Miss French?" he asked, trying to sound as if he didn't care. Silence answered him, and Gold immediately knew something was wrong. "Miss French?" he called again, taking steps toward the back. The sight that greeted him was an empty room and a fallen lamp, which Gold deduced was the cause of the crash.

"Lacey?" Gold called out, his concern showing through the use of her first name. Further inspection of the room revealed that Lacey was nowhere to be found. Gold failed to notice the sound of the pawnshop door opening and the clicking heels that followed.

"Gold!" the voice called, clearly impatient. The voice was loud enough to catch Gold's attention, but Gold made no move to greet the visitor. "I know you're open," the voice said threateningly, and Gold reluctantly made his way back to the front.

"Whatever you want is going to have to wait," Gold said coldly, completely unaffected by the implied threat. "Madame Mayor," he added, his voice dripping with an acidic distaste for the woman in front of him.

"My business doesn't lie with you. I just want a word with your employee, Miss French," Regina said, in a bad mood herself. The tension between the pair was palpable.

"I'm afraid that's not possible. Miss French appears to have vanished," Gold admitted, his face set in a mask. Regina immediately frowned.

"Where is she hiding?" Regina demanded, moving past the counter to find Lacey. "Surely you don't expect me to believe she isn't here," she continued as she stepping into the back room.

"She isn't," Gold replied curtly, stepping in the room with her. His face was unreadable, yet his hands clenched his cane tightly enough to turn his knuckles white. Regina studied him for a moment.

"Where did she go?" she asked, completely caught off guard. Gold answered her with silence as he continued through the room, looking for some sort of hint. "People don't just vanish, Gold," Regina pointed out, growing more irritated by the second.

"Apparently they do," Gold said grimly, and in that moment Regina realized he wasn't trying to protect her. Lacey had disappeared.

* * *

"Have you decided to take the job after all?" Graham asked with a smug smile. Rolling her eyes, Emma took a seat near his desk.

"I'm considering it," Emma admitted.

"I could use the help. This town seems a lot less quiet now that you're in town," Graham joked. Before Emma could respond, the phone rang. "Hello?" Graham answered. "Mr. Gold? …What sort of incident? …Are you sure? …I'll be right over," he said, his face growing serious. "Come on, I may need your help," Graham said.

"What happened?" Emma said, jumping out of her seat and following Graham. She could tell immediately that whatever happened wasn't good.

"Lacey French has gone missing. Gold said one moment she was in the shop and the next she wasn't," Graham explained briefly as he and Emma climbed into the police cruiser.

"And she couldn't have just, I don't know, walked out?" Emma asked skeptically.

"If Gold's calling it in, it must be serious. Gold's probably the most heartless man in town. He wouldn't have called unless he was absolutely sure," Graham reasoned. It took the pair only a few minutes to reach the pawnshop, and they quickly made their way inside.

"Sheriff," Gold greeted curtly. He appeared emotionless, but Emma could see the stress and worry that Gold was hiding. Regina acknowledged the pair without a word.

"What happened? I need to know everything," Graham said seriously. Neither he nor Emma bothered to ask why Regina was there since there were more important things to worry about.

"Miss French was working in the back. I heard a crash and when I went to investigate she was gone. I was up here the entire time and there is no way she could have left through the front door," Gold briefly explained.

"And even if she somehow did manage to leave, I didn't see her. Gold says I arrived just after he heard the lamp break," Regina added. Emma eyed her skeptically.

"So you just happened to stop by the pawnshop right when one of the employees went missing?" Emma asked.

"Are you suggesting I had something to do with this?" Regina asked with a frown.

"No one is suggesting anything," Graham said in an attempt to defuse the already tense situation. "All any of us want to do is to find Lacey, especially given her condition. Are there any other ways out of the pawnshop? Any busted windows or back doors?" he asked, turning his attention back to Gold.

"None that I am aware of. Any windows are in this room only, and as you can see they are all intact," Gold said impatiently.

"She couldn't have just vanished. People don't do that," Emma pointed out. "Are you sure she was in the pawnshop?" she asked. Gold glared at her.

"Of course I am. Do you really expect me to lose track of the only person who works for me?" Gold asked dryly. Graham thought for a moment.

"Did anything happen before she disappeared that was out of the ordinary? Maybe something that would have convinced to leave without telling you?" Graham asked, and Gold hesitated.

"We had a brief…argument a few minutes prior, but I can assure you that she didn't try to leave," Gold admitted. Emma raised an eyebrow.

"What sort of argument?" Emma asked suspiciously.

"An argument," Gold answered stubbornly, and both Emma and Graham knew he wouldn't explain further.

"Why don't we take a look at the back room?" Graham suggested, moving the group to the scene of the crime. Graham knelt next to the shattered lamp and observed the scattered pieces on the floor. "This is what you heard fall?" He asked, directing the question to Gold.

"Yes, yes it is," Gold answered. Graham frowned and stood, walking around the room.

"And this book, would Lacey have just left this here?" Graham asked, noticing the book containing the first half of the inventory still sitting on the table.

"No. Miss French isn't always the most dependable worker, but she never leaves books just lying around. She loves books," Gold said grimly.

"It appears Sydney's story was true for once," Regina taunted with a smirk.

"Just what are you still doing here? And why the sudden fascination with Miss French?" Gold asked, growing tired of the mayor and her games. With a sigh, Graham and Emma ignored the now bickering pair and continued to search the room.

"How long has this been here?" Emma asked taking a look at a bookshelf that seemed out of place compared to its surroundings.

"Since I bought the shop," Gold growled impatiently. Curious, Emma tugged at the bookshelf and found that it pulled away from the wall very easily, revealing a back door.

"I thought you said there were no other exits," Graham asked with a frown.

"To my knowledge there weren't," Gold said, a frown on his face as well. Graham glanced at Emma, who was watching Gold intently.

"He's telling the truth," Emma said decidedly.

"And you're just going to buy it? Lacey French goes missing in a room that just so happens to be in her employer's shop, and it just so happens to have a secret back door," Regina said dryly. Graham thought for a moment.

"I need to take you two in for questioning, but I believe following this is more important. I won't risk Lacey's life, not when she hasn't been gone long," Graham said.

"Then take care of them. I'll follow this and see where it goes," Emma said, making Graham's decision for him.

"As an unarmed civilian?" Graham asked, unsure about it.

"As your deputy, and if you'll give me a gun I won't be unarmed," Emma said, and Graham couldn't help but smile at the fact that she accepted the job.

"Be careful. I'll follow you as soon as I take care of these two," Graham said, handing Emma his spare gun.

"With any luck I won't need it," Emma said. And with that, she was gone.


	14. Chapter 14

**This chapter happens at the same time as the last one, but it's a different chapter for dramatic purposes (tee hee!). Wondering what really happened to Lacey/Belle? Well, here you go!**

"Don't make any sudden moves," a voice warned, whispering in Lacey's ear. Whoever held her led her towards the bookcase. "Pull it back," the voice said calmly. Lacey could tell it belonged to a man, but it wasn't a voice she recognized. Reluctantly, Lacey did as he asked, revealing a door she never knew existed. After Lacey passed through the door, the man covered it again with the bookshelf, knocking over a lamp in the process. "Dammit," he muttered.

"Who are you?" Lacey demanded, assuming Regina had sent the man. The man seemed to realize his eye wasn't on Lacey and quickly turned around, his gun pointed at her. To say he looked stressed was an understatement.

"Get in the car," he said, gesturing towards a car and refusing to answer the question. Both of them could hear Gold from inside the shop, calling for Lacey. The man impatiently waved the gun at Lacey. "Get in the car," he repeated sounding almost desperate. Reluctantly, Lacey did as he asked, not wanting to take any chances. He swiftly took his place in the driver's side and took off.

"Regina sent you, didn't she?" Lacey asked bitterly. The only thing that didn't make sense was the timing; she had only talked to Henry a few minutes ago. She knew Regina was well informed, but even she couldn't know everything. Her kidnapper said nothing until they pulled up to a fairly large house.

"Come on," he said. He opened Lacey's door like a gentleman, treating her more like a guest than a prisoner until she felt the gun press against her back. "I'm sorry, we can't have you making a run for it now can we," he said, almost sounding apologetic as he lead her into the house.

"Who are you?" Lacey asked, completely baffled by the man's actions. The man offered her a seat in the living room, ignoring her question for the time being.

"Tea?" he offered.

"Are you completely mad?" Lacey asked, ignoring his offer. "Who are you?" Lacey repeated for the third time since she'd met this man, and she was beginning to get impatient with his answers. The man sighed.

"I'm a friend," the man said vaguely, twiddling his thumbs as he took a seat.

"A friend?! What sort of "friend" kidnaps people?" Lacey asked, horrified. He didn't seem to be working for Regina, after all anyone sent by Regina wouldn't identify themselves as a friend in any situation.

"It's for your own protection. Regina is bound to find out about your little chat with Henry and she doesn't make idle threats. And with any luck, I may have just convinced a certain blonde to stay in town a little longer," he said. Lacey studied him for a moment.

"You remember," Lacey said, and it wasn't a question. No one who didn't know about the curse would be so interested in whether Emma stayed or not.

"And so do you, much to Regina's displeasure," the man countered. "I hate that we never had the chance to meet back in our world; I hear Rumplestiltskin was much pleasanter around you," he added with a small chuckle. Lacey took a brief look around the room and gave a small but tense smile.

"And I heard you were…well, missing a head," Lacey said bluntly, realizing who the man was.

"It appears my reputation precedes me. Excellent," the man said with a smile. "Ah, but where are my manners. My name is Jefferson," Jefferson said with a mock bow.

"And I'm Belle, or Lacey in this world," Lacey said, still not sure what to make of the whole situation.

"I'm terribly sorry about this whole incident, but I had to act fast thanks to Regina. I would have thought Rumplestiltskin would have told you to lay low when he found a way for you to remember," Jefferson said, and Lacey frowned.

"To be fair, it was a bit overwhelming. But you're right, I should have been more careful. I'm usually a much better actress and trust me, I have plenty of practice," Lacey admitted.

"Ah yes, I'm sure that's quite the tale," Jefferson said with a chuckle.

"Believe me, that's an understatement. Where's Grace? Rumple mentioned you had a daughter. And weren't you trapped in Wonderland?" Lacey asked, genuinely curious. Jefferson instantly sobered and grew serious.

"Regina…when she cast the curse it was possible to bring anyone she wanted here. We don't have the best history, so my curse is special: I remember everything, but my daughter believes she belongs to another family," Jefferson admitted.

"I'm sorry," Lacey said, earnestly sympathetic. "Emma will break the curse, and then you will be reunited with her," she added, sounding and feeling resolute.

"How can she break the curse if she refuses to believe in it?" Jefferson asked bitterly. Lacey approached him and placed a supportive hand on his shoulder.

"She will believe in it, she has to. Help me and I'm sure we can get her to believe," Lacey said optimistically. "If she's even half as stubborn as her parents it may take a while, but I know we'll convince her," she added.

"I never would have thought Rumplestiltskin would have fallen for a girl like you, especially one so…optimistic," Jefferson said with a chuckle. Lacey laughed.

"Well, I did say it was an interesting tale," Lacey reminded him. "Now, I do believe we have a small problem," she said, growing serious.

"Of course, this whole kidnapping business. I'm afraid I can't just let you go at the moment; I need to make sure the Savior will stay," Jefferson said apologetically.

"Well, I'm not exactly in a hurry to see Regina again," Lacey admitted. "You did think this through, didn't you?" Lacey asked, praying the answer was yes and not no.

"I uh…may not have figured out the plan past the kidnapping," Jefferson admitted, and Lacey gave a tired sigh. "Honestly the best I have is kidnapping anyone else who comes looking for you," Jefferson said, earning a disapproving glare from Lacey.

"I understand your motives and I still don't enjoy being kidnapped," Lacey pointed out.

"I don't think people are supposed to enjoy being kidnapped," Jefferson quipped.

"Yes, but I can't just stay here until the curse breaks. That may take months, and I have Doctor's visits I need to go to. And, silly overprotective man he is, I don't think Rumplestiltskin will be too pleased regaining his memories and realizing I'm kidnapped," Lacey argued. Jefferson thought for a moment.

"You have a point," he reluctantly admitted. It took a few more minutes for him to speak again. "All right then. Here's the plan…"


	15. Chapter 15

**Hello! Sorry it's been a while, but I've been going through a bit of writer's block. I apologize for the wait! Anyone know why Hook's Storybrooke name is what is? Let me know what you think! Anyways, enjoy!**

"A ransom. That's your brilliant idea?" Lacey asked skeptically. Jefferson nodded in response. Lacey thought for a moment. "It could work…except for one thing. I don't have anyone who would pay it. Even under the curse my father and I aren't close, and he barely pays his rent to Gold as it is," Lacey pointed out. Jefferson smirked.

"If he doesn't pay it, Gold will," he said, matter-of-factly. Lacey raised an eyebrow. "Even in this world he has a soft spot for you," Jefferson pointed out. Lacey sighed.

"I know he does, but I don't think that's enough. Rumplestiltskin loves me, but Gold doesn't," Lacey argued. Jefferson flashed a small smile.

"What better way for him to realize he loves you than to think he might lose you forever?" Jefferson asked. Lacey had to admit he had a point, but it did nothing to settle the unease she felt. "I know it's not the best plan in the world, but it's all we have," he said, attempting to soothe her nerves.

"I have a bad feeling about this. Too many things could go wrong," Lacey said, shaking her head.

"That didn't stop you from helping Rumplestiltskin after he lost his magic," Jefferson pointed out, and Lacey's eyes widened.

"How, how do you know about that?" Lacey asked, caught off guard.

"I see and hear many things in this house, including your conversation with Henry," Jefferson admitted, motioning for Lacey to follow him. "Regina designed this house so I could see and hear any and everything that happens in Storybrooke. She knew I wouldn't be able to resist keeping an eye on Grace, even though I can't do a thing for my own daughter," he continued, showing the telescope positioned at the window.

"That shouldn't be possible," Lacey pointed out, taking a look through the telescope herself. The scene in front of her took place as the crowd of people at the pawnshop began to disperse. "That's incredible," Lacey said in awe.

"It's about time it came in handy. I've spent twenty eight years watching my own daughter believe she belongs to another family, but that's not the point. You helped Rumplestiltskin ensure this curse was cast. If anything, this should be easy," Jefferson said.

"Well, it looks like you've accomplished at least one thing today. Emma's the one searching for me," Lacey said, giving a small smile. Jefferson smirked.

"And you're safe from Regina, and you've met someone else who doesn't believe you're mad," Jefferson said. Lacey laughed.

"I'm not going to thank you for kidnapping me if that's what you want," Lacey said with a smirk of her own. "But if I am going to spend the next couple of days missing, I might as well make the most of them. We need to find a way for the Savior to believe," Lacey said seriously.

"If she's as stubborn as you think then we have quite the task ahead of us," Jefferson pointed out. Lacey smiled.

"Then we better get to it," she said cheerfully.

* * *

Emma quickly yet cautiously made her way through the door and into the back alleyway. She looked around only to find it completely deserted, without a trace of Lacey. Emma followed the alleyway until she reached the street, and she approached a nearby pedestrian. "Excuse me, have you seen anyone come out from here?" she asked.

"Maybe, maybe not, love," He answered with a smirk, and Emma had to suppress a groan when she realized it was Jack Turner. "A kiss might help me remember," Jack teased, and Emma pulled out her badge in response.

"I suggest you help me or I'll have you arrested for obstruction of justice," Emma countered, and Jack laughed.

"I'm impressed, Miss Swan. I did indeed see a car pull out of here about ten minutes ago, headed towards the forest. I only know of one house out there, and the owner's a bit…well, mad," Jack said.

"How far away is this house?" Emma asked.

"Just a few minutes. Come on, I'll take you there myself," Jack said, chivalrously offering his hand to Emma, who raised an eyebrow. "I can't have you getting lost on the way there, now can I?" Jack said smirking. Emma rolled her eyes and let out a sigh.

"Come on," Emma said reluctantly, eager to not waste any more time. "Did you see anyone in the car besides the driver?" she asked as she and Jack made their way through the town.

"To be perfectly honest, I'm afraid I didn't pay much attention," Jack admitted. "Why are you looking for this person anyways?" he asked, curious.

"Lacey French has disappeared," Emma said seriously. Jack scoffed.

"Are you sure her crocodile employer doesn't have anything to do with that?" Jack asked, clearly bitter. His distaste for the man was clearly evident.

"What's your beef with Gold?" Emma asked. Jack laughed bitterly.

"You'll be hard-pressed to find anyone in this town who thinks differently of him. As for what I have against him, well I'm afraid that's not a story to tell on a first date," Jack said, maintaining his charming composure.

"Strange, Lacey seems to like him," Emma pointed out dryly. "Besides, Gold didn't do it. He's the one that called it in," she added.

"What better way to seem innocent?" Jack retorted. "Ah, here we are," he said as they came to a mansion in the woods. "This is the car all right," he said.

"Thanks. I'm going to have to ask you to go home now," Emma said, pulling her badge out as she approached the house.

"What sort of gentleman would allow a lady to search for a kidnapper alone?" Jack asked with a smirk. Emma sighed.

"Just stay behind me," Emma warned, and without saying anything else she knocked on the door.


	16. Chapter 16

**Hello again! To clear any confusion up, Jack Turner (as in Captain Jack Sparrow and Will Turner from Pirates of the Caribbean) is Hook's Storybrooke persona. This arc has either one or two chapters left, then things will calm down a bit (at least for the moment :P ). Thanks for all of the reviews, favorites, and follows, and I hope you enjoy!**

"Damn, she got here faster than I thought she would," Jefferson lamented as he and Lacey heard the knock on the door. "Stay here, I'll take care of this," he said with a small smile. Sensing something off, Lacey waited a moment before slipping into the nearby room. She soon heard the door open. "Hello, can I help you?" Jefferson greeted politely.

"I'm the sheriff's deputy. Do you mind if I come in?" Emma asked, flashing her badge while keeping her other hand ready to grab her gun if she needed.

"And your friend?" Jefferson asked, eying Jack curiously.

"Someone has to keep Miss Swan out of trouble," Jack said with a smirk, earning an eye roll from Emma.

"Well, I'm not one to intrude on police business, but do you have a warrant?" Jefferson asked innocently. Emma frowned.

"I can get one if you think it's necessary. I just want to ask some questions," Emma said casually, downplaying the situation.

"Come right in. Let me get you two some tea," Jefferson said with a smile as Emma and Jack took a seat on the couch. Emma had to suppress a groan when Jack took a seat beside her rather than another available chair. Jefferson reappeared just moments later with two steaming cups of tea and placed them on the table in front of Emma and Jack. "Enjoy," he said, still smiling.

"Thanks," Emma said as she and Jack both took a sip. "Now, I want to…hey, what's in-" Emma started before promptly passing out along with Jack.

"Sweet dreams," Jefferson said, making a move to grab Emma until he heard footsteps behind him.

"What the hell are you doing?" Lacey demanded, feeling anger rise inside of her.

"We're going to make her believe us," Jefferson said, his face unreadable.

"By kidnapping her? No, I won't have any part in this and I won't let you do this," Lacey said fiercely, moving in between Jefferson and Emma's unconscious body.

"Who are you to play Miss high and mighty?" Jefferson asked coolly. Lacey tensed up. "You are one of the reasons we're under this damn curse to begin with. The reason all of us are absolutely miserable. So you don't get to judge me," he continued flatly.

"You think I wanted this curse? Every day I hate myself for it. The only reason I can live with myself is because I know it will be broken, but I know that this isn't the way to it!" Lacey argued.

"And you've lived with yourself for what, less than a week? I've spent twenty eight years watching my own daughter believe she someone else's child. Twenty eight years of being the only person who believes this curse is real. It's enough to drive a person mad," Jefferson said bitterly.

"I'm sorry, I truly am," Lacey said, a heartfelt confession. "But you aren't alone anymore. This curse is real, and Emma is the person destined to break it. We have to ease her into this or she'll panic and run. And we have to let her go. You are a good man, Jefferson. We can do this the right way," Lacey said calmly.

"Belle, I'm going mad here. I need my Grace," Jefferson pleaded, and Lacey could see the desperate father inside.

"I know. That's why we have to do this right. We can drop them off somewhere safe and then disappear. When this mess is over with I can talk with Emma myself. I can help her believe," Lacey said. Jefferson sighed.

"I'll be back soon. There's a cabin in the woods we can stay in until we're through. I'll take you there once I take care of these two," Jefferson said reluctantly.

"Thank you," Lacey said, offering a supportive smile.

* * *

Emma awoke with a start, trying to figure out where she was. "Easy there. Are you all right?" a voice asked, and Emma immediately recognized it as Graham's.

"What happened?" Emma asked, her eyes adjusting to the light in the sheriff's office. Around her were Graham, Regina, Gold, and a still sleeping Jack.

"I was hoping you could tell us. Gold went back to his shop and found you two unconscious in the back," Graham said. Emma gave him a confused look.

"I followed passageway in Gold's shop to an alleyway. Jack mentioned seeing a car pass through there, and we followed it to investigate. Big house out in the woods, and the owner let us in. The last thing I remember is drinking the tea," Emma admitted, rubbing her head.

"A big house in the woods…does that sound like someone either of you know?" Graham asked.

"No one that pays rent to me," Gold said reluctantly, while Regina shook her head.

"I'm worried about Lacey. We need to get back there and find her. There's no telling what sort of lunatic this guy is," Emma said seriously.

"Emma, we aren't even sure this man has her," Graham pointed out.

"And drugging Jack and I wasn't suspicious at all," Emma remarked dryly.

"I have to agree with Miss Swan on this one," Gold said, a quiet look of determination showing on his face.

"Then it's settled. Let's get the warrant so we can find this girl," Regina said without emotion, eager to find the girl for her own reasons.

"What did you find out from these two?" Emma asked, suddenly remembering that Graham was supposed to question them.

"Regina has a solid alibi, and Gold insists he is innocent. Judging by the results of your search, I have to say I believe him," Graham said.

"Good, then we should-" Emma began before being interrupted by the phone ringing.

"Hello?" Graham answered before getting a serious expression. He switched the phone onto speaker mode and placed it on the table. "We're listening," he said.

"Who is this?" Emma asked, eyeing Graham.

"Who I am isn't important. But I believe I have someone you're looking for," the voice said.

"Lacey…" Gold said quietly.

"Very good. Now, my demands are simple. In exactly twenty four hours we will make a trade: ten thousand dollars in exchange for the girl. You'll be informed of the location thirty minutes beforehand. I will only hand over the girl to Mr. Gold. If anyone is with him, I will kill Lacey. If anyone attempts to find us, I will kill Lacey. Do I make myself clear?" the voice asked.

"Yes," Graham said solemnly after a moment.

"Good. You can expect another call in twenty three hours and twenty nine minutes," the voice said, before the line went dead.


	17. Chapter 17

**Hello again! Updates may get a little sporadic; I move into my dorm on Friday and I still have to get packed. If it takes a week or so to get this updated again, I apologize ahead of time. Enjoy!**

Silence flooded the room, with no one daring to speak. "Wha-what's going on?" a groggy voice as Jack slowly sat up.

"Go home, Jack," Graham said solemnly. Jack's eyes went around the room in an attempt to figure out what was going on. "This is police business. We'll handle this," Graham added, and Jack reluctantly made his way out of the station.

"What are we going to do?" Emma asked seriously, refusing to stand by and do nothing.

"I'll pay the ransom," Gold answered, earning a surprised look from both Graham and Regina. "It's a relatively small sum, and she was working for me when she disappeared. Therefore, it's only natural that I should handle this," he added, feigning disinterest.

"That's awfully…generous of you Mr. Gold," Graham noted with a frown.

"You do care about her," Regina noted with a smirk.

"What I want to know is why is Gold the one that has to make the exchange?" Emma asked, turning the conversation back on topic. "Could the person that did this have something against you?" she asked, curious. Gold gave a bitter laugh.

"I'm a difficult man to love and I have no shortage of enemies," Gold said coolly. "I do expect you to find whoever did this after we save Miss French, Sheriff," he added.

"We'll do everything we can to find him. Lacey should be able to help us," Graham said.

"She has a father in town doesn't she? Should we tell him about this?" Emma asked.

"Everyone knows that Lacey and her father aren't very close. To be honest, I would like to keep this as quiet as possible," Regina said.

"Why, is a kidnapping bad publicity for you?" Gold asked dryly.

"I was thinking about you, actually. The girl that works for you is kidnapped for no apparent reason? If anyone would suffer from this it would be you," Regina pointed out with a smirk.

"And you conveniently stopped by my shop after the incident. Why are you still here?" Gold countered, refusing to back down.

"In case you've forgotten, I'm the mayor of this town. The safety of its citizens is very important to me," Regina answered innocently.

"Arguing like this isn't going to find Lacey. Mr. Gold, are you sure you want to pay the ransom?" Graham asked, growing tired of their bickering. Emma was beginning to feel the same way.

"I said I'm going to pay it didn't I? I am many things, but I always keep my word," Gold said seriously.

"All right then. I suggest the two of you go home and get some sleep. We have a long day ahead of us tomorrow," Graham said.

"Isn't it a bit early to get some sleep?" Emma asked, raising an eyebrow.

"You were out for quite some time. I was talking to these two; you and I have business to discuss," Graham answered. Regina then left without a word, but Gold appeared hesitant to leave. "We'll find her, no matter what it takes," Graham said reassuringly.

"For your sake I hope you do," Gold said coldly before leaving as well.

"Have they been like that all day?" Emma asked.

"They've been like that for as long as I've known them," Graham said with a sigh. Emma couldn't help but feel a stab of sympathy for him for being stuck with them all day.

"Are we going back to this lunatic's house?" Emma asked, crossing her arms.

"I'm willing to bet he's disappeared already," Graham admitted. "Ruby happened to see you two in the park, unconscious. For some reason he left the two of you there, but I don't think he went back to the house afterwards, at least not for very long," he continued.

"Why leave us alive?" Emma asked, confused.

"Your guess is as good as mine. Did you catch his name?" Graham asked. Emma shook her head. "I was afraid of that," Graham sighed.

"Is it just me or is this getting stranger and stranger by the minute?" Emma asked.

"Believe me, the feeling's mutual. In the morning you and I are going to pay a visit to this house you went to. With any luck, we might find something useful. I'll meet you at Granny's in the morning, and in the meantime try to get some sleep," Graham said.

"You too," Emma said, making her way back to Granny's with a lot on her mind.

* * *

_Jefferson, just what are you playing at?_ Regina thought to herself as she opened the door to her home. She had her suspicions when Emma first described the house, but she would recognize the voice on the phone anywhere. "Henry?" Regina called.

"Mom, you're back," Henry said, coming in from the living room. "Where were you?" he asked, clearly wondering why Regina was so late getting home.

"I'm sorry I'm late. Things were a little complicated today. Why don't we grab some dinner at Granny's?" Regina suggested. Henry shrugged.

"Sure, why not," Henry said, a little caught off guard. The pair began to walk in an uncomfortable silence. "Please tell me you didn't hurt Lacey," he pleaded after a moment.

"Henry, why on earth would I do something like that?" Regina asked, appearing baffled even though the thought had occurred to her earlier in the day.

"Because you know she remembers," Henry said. "And don't try to tell me the curse isn't real. I know it is, but I'm gonna find a way to break it," he added before Regina had a chance to speak.

"Henry, I'm worried about you. You're talking about curses and Evil Queens…don't you know that I love you?" Regina asked, stung by his words.

"But why would you curse everyone?" Henry asked desperately. Regina grew quiet for a long moment.

"Maybe this 'Evil Queen' in your book was tired of always losing. Maybe she wanted her happy ending after all of the suffering she'd been through. Maybe she wanted to finally experience what a family was like, and maybe she was tired of being hated and feared," Regina said, opening up even if she was speaking hypothetically.

"You know…the book says you weren't always evil. Snow White thought you could be good again," Henry admitted.

"Henry…I'm not this Evil Queen," Regina said weakly.

"No, you're my mom. You used to be the Evil Queen, but I think you can change," Henry said with a small smile. "I'm sorry about earlier," he added, giving her a hug while they walked.

"You really think the Evil Queen can change?" Regina asked, caught off guard.

"Snow White thought you could. And you are still my mom, after all," Henry said. "It's never too late to change," he said with a shrug.

"Some things can never be forgiven," Regina said, sounding grimly resolute as they walked, but for the first time in many years Regina was beginning to question those words.


End file.
